


The Tiger and the Rose

by Tsaritza_Mika



Category: Full Metal Panic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-04
Updated: 2012-04-24
Packaged: 2017-10-30 14:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 74,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsaritza_Mika/pseuds/Tsaritza_Mika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU - A love story unfolds under the blazing sun of the Afghani Desert. S/K</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red Sands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FeistyDreams (Altraya)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Altraya/gifts).



The sun dipped low in the sky; the surrounding area concealed perfectly the two spies hiding in the craggy slopes as they watched the facility in the distance. Scorching hot winds still tore through the valley and its surrounding mountains, raising the loose sands on top and creating fierce gusts of blazing hot dust. Not a single moment of reprieve was ever granted in this wasteland, yet every able man, woman, and child would give their lives to protect it. The wind continued to whip the fabric the two wore around them, occasionally smacking them in the face, yet they never moved even a single muscle as they kept their eyes trained on their target.

One was an older man, with the face of someone who had earned his right to continue living amidst the formidable battles he had been subjected to. His skin was tanned and rough from age, and the constant beatings of harsh desert winds. His hair, once a vibrant shade of brown, was now as white as a fresh tunic, and nearly just as long. Held carefully back by nothing but a simple thread of string, some of the rebellious strands had broken free to whip wildly through the heated winds. Cold and focused eyes stared through his binoculars, and though they had seen far more death and suffering than most ever would, they were still able to radiate with a kindness that most other soldiers were forced to sacrifice while attempting to stay alive in their barren surroundings. As the sun finally disappeared behind the great mountain behind them, the old man removed his binoculars and turned to his subordinate.

Though only a young man in life, his abilities were that of a warrior far older than the face that bore them. Covered with innumerable scars, the man was, in reality, no more than a boy. Fated with a life of hardship, the young man had accepted his role without a moment's hesitation, knowing that if he did so, no one else would ever have to know such a life. Though once worn at a much shorter length, his wild chestnut locks ran rampant down his back and the sides of his face; only a few in front were shortened so that it wouldn't interfere with his duties. Also draped in long tunics and cloaks, his most distinguishing feature, a cross shaped scar, lay across his strong jaw line. Dropping his binoculars into his satchel, his steel-grey gaze met that of his superior as he nodded in acknowledgment. Carefully making their way back over the mountain, being cautious so that their figures would not be seen by any guards in the distance, the two men began their retreat back to the camp they temporarily called home.

The walk at the bottom of the ravine was long, and the air had begun to cool at an incredible rate. The once scorching winds from earlier had started beating on the travelers with an icy bite, and they pulled up their scarves a little higher, hoping to stave off the chill until reaching the encampment. The two traveled in silence, hoping that their trek might be shortened if their breath was not spent on words that could be spoken later. After taking a short-cut through a thin crevice in the tall stone, the sounds of the camp began to trickle toward them. Numerous tents dotted the bottom of the long dry river bed, and fire pits had been set up at nearly every available open space within the short radius. The men either reclined in their tents, or gathered at the fires, regaling stories of their youth and exaggerated tales of conquest. The few women and children that followed the large group were all busy playing, preparing food, and making sure there were fresh linens and bandages for their soldiers.

Making their way toward the back of the encampment, the two men were halted by the large guards stationed outside their leader's tent. Waiting for permission to enter, the young man put his hand in his pocket, reaching for his most prized possession, and gripping it tightly. Once granted entrance, the two entered the tent, pushing aside the heavy curtain as they passed its threshold. Sitting at the back of the tent, one hand holding the stem of his hookah sat their fearsome leader. Though mostly hardened from a lifetime of battles in both the scorching sun and the freezing moonlight, he had still found a soft spot for the young man with his steely grey eyes that had once been sent to ensure his death. Glancing over to his two visitors, he nodded to them, and in a great puff of smoke greeted his two most prized warriors. "I welcome you back Kalinin and you as well Kashim."

Lowering themselves to their knees, Kalinin and his young companion bowed low to their leader of the past nine years. "You honor us with your thoughts General, we are thankful to have returned from our post undetected." Hearing a brief grunt, they sat back up to meet their leader's gaze. Andrei spared a second to glance at his young companion, the boy so many knew as Kashim. With the boy's reputation, it wasn't surprising that he was mostly left alone when not engaged in battle, though Andrei had known him long enough to see the scarring loneliness behind the cold steel of his grey eyes. Focusing his attention back toward General Majid, both men awaited the brief questioning that was sure to come regarding their mission earlier that day.

"You have been watching the facility since dawn?"

"Sir."

"And? Is there yet any evidence that it does not belong to our enemies?"

"No. However, it would be too soon to judge the situation based on mere observation sir."

"Oh? Please, elaborate for me Kashim."

"Sir. If we were to judge that the facility did not house our enemies and were proven wrong, we could be caught unaware and suffer enormous casualties. However, if we are correct in assuming they are not our enemies, it is a very real possibility that eventually, the facility may be overrun by them, considering the facility's advantageous position within the valley." Majid took another few puffs on his hookah, contemplating the directions their group could take regarding the mysterious facility they had discovered.

It had only been recently that their nomadic lifestyle had lead them this far to the south, and when they had begun to search the area for any caves or other high cliff sides that could be used should they come under attack, one of them men had spotted the building at the bottom of the valley. Indeed it was sitting in a very advantageous position, though every advantage could be a man's death sentence as well. The facility sat in the middle of a small valley, its only surroundings being a small river, a few random bushes, and hardened dry dirt. The walls of the valley were somewhat high, though not impossible for novices to scale should a non-combatant be attempting escape. The dirt surrounding the facility was roughly a three mile radius, providing no cover for any invading forces, and no safety for anyone trying to flee. Deciding whether or not to make a move on such a position was risky, but if met with success, could easily turn the tide in the victors favor.

"What would your suggestions be gentleman? I would like to take all viewpoints into consideration before deciding on a plan of action. I would prefer to reduce the possibility of casualties if at all possible." Andrei cleared his throat, glancing down at Kashim in acknowledgment before offering his opinion regarding the facility.

"General, if I were to make a plan of action, I would plan an approach with a small platoon of men on the next moonless night. Taking cover in the shadows, we would have less worry for being spotted. The platoon could then infiltrate the facility, and investigate its occupants and their motives. Should they prove to be the enemy, we can use Morse code with a small flash light to alert the remaining soldiers."

"And if they should prove to not be aligned with the enemy?"

"Then the squad will pull out and leave without detection. We can always have a soldier keep watch on the facility and report any suspicious activity." Without missing a beat, Majid countered the response.

"And suppose the enemy does take notice of the facility and we are unable to beat them to the prize?" Both men were left at an impasse. Though their plan to infiltrate such a place would undoubtedly work, if just left alone, the enemy would eventually have the upper hand. Their path was clear; the facility would need to be under their control as soon as possible. Nodding to their leader in agreement, they spent some time discussing which soldiers would make up the infiltration platoon, and who would be left just beyond the hills to operate the two RK-92's they had acquired a few years back. It was a difficult decision deciding where to place Kashim within the operation, but if the infiltrators were successful, the RK-92s would likely not be needed. Kashim would accompany Kalinin on the initial raid with the platoon.

Once a plan of action had agreed upon, Kalinin and Kashim were dismissed from their leader's tent. Upon entering the tent Kashim had claimed for himself, he removed his scarf and sat on the cloth covered dirt, beginning the long and arduous task of cleaning the dirt and sand from the firearms he had taken with him that day. Even when his entire attention seemed focused on his task, he was able to catch the faint sounds of fluttering fabric outside his tent curtains. Turning quickly while taking hold of his favorite knife from the side of his dusty boot, he lunged toward the curtain, barely stopping in time to just miss the young woman's throat. Her black eyes were surprisingly calm from behind her charadi as she stood stock still; awaiting for the moment the young warrior would recognize her. Focusing in time to stop the blade from hurting her, he carefully pulled back, keeping his gaze locked on her as he slowly brought his knife down to rest against the heavy fabric of his pants. Placing the sharpened blade back into its sheath, he turned to face her as he quietly spoke. "You may speak, Fatin."

Bowing her head in acknowledgment, she brought her hands from behind her back, holding out a medium sized covered bowl to him, kneeling as she did so. "I have brought a tired warrior some palau," she responded quietly. Daring to glance up at him and make brief eye contact, she quickly looked back down at the bowl she held in her outstretched hands. Kashim was taken back at the bold gesture, knowing that daring even that much could be enough to have both of them beaten for their insolence against the ways of their society. "Does this not please you?" Fatin had always been kind to him, despite what her father preferred, so turning her away was not a favorable option. Still, Kashim was not particularly interested in having more scars than necessary added to his body, most especially at the hands of her father, Haidar. The man had an almost unnatural feel for using his whip for disciplinary actions, as if he had practiced his entire life for just such a task. One the other side of the coin however, he considered what might happen if Haidar discovered that she had not only been speaking to him alone, but had also prepared food for him as well. With a barely audible sigh at the complexities of his situation, he made his decision. Being careful to stay at least the appropriate arms length away, he knelt and took the offered bowl from her.

"I am honored you thought me worthy Fatin. I am deeply grateful." Fatin blushed from under her charadi as their fingertips faintly brushed together in the exchange. Nodding her head to acknowledge his response, she dared another quick glance into his steel grey eyes before retreating behind his tent curtain. Not a few seconds after she had left, Andrei had pulled back the curtain, glancing back as he noticed the young woman was still staring at his companion's tent from afar. "Sir?" Brought out of his thoughts, Andrei turned back to the young man he had come to visit.

"Fatin brought you some palau?"

"Yes sir." Andrei eyed him for a moment before sparing a look across the camp at the young woman who had just dared to bring the young man a specially made dinner. She and the rest of her family had been eating Qorma Lawand, meaning she had made the dish especially for Kashim. Andrei was unsure of whether or not her father was aware of this, but both of them would do their best to keep it from him. As sad as he felt it was, Kashim had always been one of the unfavored; a heretic of sorts, despite his constant dedicated service to a cause that was not his own. He was someone whom was undeserving for even the pleasure of the goats, and despite his many years of loyalty, none of the men in their encampment would sink low enough to introduce his daughter. Their honor was far too important to them to disgrace their daughters with the thought of being married off to someone like him.

"Make sure no one knows who brought you that. I would hate to have to watch Haidar beat you again. Honestly, I wish I could forget the last time it happened." A simple nod was the boy's only reply as he continued to eat his rice. Yes, the last time Kashim had been on the receiving end of Haidar's whip had been anything but pleasant. Not only had he been left with long bleeding gashes across his back, but he had also dislocated the boys shoulder and bruised his sternum. Andrei still had nightmares about helping him clean the blood and dirt from him once the man had been satisfied. Haidar had made sure that laying on either his stomach or back would be impossible. The heavy bruising on his sternum made it difficult to breathe, making it nearly unbearable for him to lie on his stomach when the time came to clean the long cuts on his back. The poor boy had been forced to hold himself up with his only good arm as Andrei had cleaned and bandaged the wounds. Though Haidar had then been questioned thoroughly about why the incident had occurred, it didn't change the fact that Kashim had needed an entire week just to make sure the cuts on his back wouldn't reopen whenever he bent over.

Andre stared at him as he ate his rice, still wishing beyond all measure that he could have adopted the boy and taken him away from all the blood and fighting. Even with his refusal, Kashim was still underage, and he could have been forced if Andrei had really tried. Unfortunately, all the wishing in the world would never bring back his long dead wife and child, so with Kashim he had remained. Over the past nine years they had been together in the heat of the desert, Andrei had taught him many things; both about surviving and how to interact with others, and he'd watched as the once despondent child had grown into the somber young man that stood before him. Watching as the young man finished his rice and took up his weapon once more, Andrei ran a hand through his long hair, Kashim's youth only serving to remind him of the once gentle heart that had resided within the boy. His companion's voice bringing him out of his thoughts, he asked Kashim to repeat what had just been said. "I was merely wondering if there was anything you needed sir. You normally enjoy keeping such restful evenings to yourself."

"So I can't break my routine for a night and visit an old friend?" Kashim's eyes widened at the statement; his blood running cold at the thought that he could have just insulted one of only two people on earth that gave his well being a second thought. Dropping his weapon immediately he dropped into a low bow on his knees, trying to not inhale any of the loose dirt as he spoke quickly.

"O-of course sir! I had no intention of insulting you! I-I beg your forgiveness please!" His heart skipped a beat for moment, but he soon felt relieved as a soft chuckle was heard from the older man. Turning his head so he could glance up at him through his long bangs, he waited patiently until Andrei had nodded for him to sit upright.

"It's quite alright, we all make mistakes. Besides I was only joking with you." Seeing his shoulders finally relax, Andrei reached over and shook the boy's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Will you be prepared to take the facility tomorrow?"

"Yes sir."

"Then I will take my leave and retire for the night. Make sure you get adequate rest until tomorrow, we will need everyone on their highest alert."

"Sir." With a quiet nod, Andrei exited the tent, once again leaving the young warrior by himself. Turning back to resume the maintenance on his weaponry, he felt a twinge in the back of his neck, as if a feeling of anticipation resided there. His routine lasted long into the night, as did the strange feeling that had settled in him. He was used to being on alert, but the feeling that now clung to him, as if it were a second skin, it made him feel as though things would change drastically after tomorrow night. 'It's almost like…' he thought, the weight of his firearm suddenly feeling heavier than it had before.

'…something's waiting for me.'

~~~~~***~~~~~

Turning behind a large stack of crates, Kashim successfully brought down another three guards, his carefully aimed shots flying through their skulls as easily as if they hadn't been there to begin with. He stopped a moment to reload, counting the scant minutes until their back up arrived. As it turned out, their intelligence scouting had only given them half of the bigger picture. The Russians were occupying the facility, but it seemed that they had merely been guests to the true owners. It was still unclear as to what had been taking place within the high walls of the facility, but the good news was that they had never planned for an attack. The guards all had weapons of course, but they had all been confident that the flattened area surrounding them would have given away an early warning if anyone had dared to approach. It was nothing more than simple carelessness.

Another string of bullets whizzed by the edge of the hallway he had taken refuge in, scratching his arm as they flew by. Thin streams of blood began to seep onto his sleeve, making the fabric heavy and wet as it stuck to his arm. Deciding to retreat into a more favorable position he dashed down the darkened hallway toward one of the inner chambers. He could hear the loud footfalls of the few men who had decided to try and chase him down, spurring him to run faster as the light from the overhead lights outside faded into the black of the hallway. Finally locating an open door, he rushed in and hastily closed the reinforced lock just as the men who had been chasing him crashed into it. Turning quickly, he surveyed the dimly lit room, making sure to look from behind the safety of the sights of his AK. Once satisfied that he was indeed alone, he slowly lowered his rifle and took a better look at his surroundings.

He seemed to have entered some kind of laboratory. Tall and long apparatuses made of glass flutes, beakers, and tubes covered nearly every tabletop, the colorful fluids inside bubbling with activity. Walking carefully through the room, he picked up a nearby clipboard, attempting to recall Kalinin's lessons on the Russian language to try and figure out what they had been doing. A small clink to his left had him dropping the clipboard and bringing up his rifle once more, his heartbeat increasing as adrenalin raced through his veins. Edging up to an open doorway, he spied another room, this one also filled to the brim with scientific experimentations. The many computer monitors glowed from their strategic places near the rapidly bubbling substances, and as Kashim moved silently through, he couldn't help but wonder just what they had been experimenting on.

A faint fluorescent glow came from under the door near the far wall. Taking precautions, Kashim lifted his rifle as he approached. Slowly reaching for the doorknob, he steadily turned it, listening as the tumblers unhinged themselves to allow him access. Cracking it open barely enough for him to see, he glanced inside. Except for the single fluorescent light shining down on the strange pod-like device in the middle of the room, it seemed to be empty. Quietly, he pushed the door open and walked forward. Once again he scanned the room with his rifle before lowering it and inspecting the strange laboratories he had stumbled upon.

More computer monitors lined the walls, attached to ceiling sized processors that had countless wires running this way and that along the floor. A few chairs were placed in front on the main screens, and the multitude of buttons continued to blink, regardless of the battle that raged onward just beyond the wall. Unable to fully understand the writing on the screens, he turned his attention back to the strange pod-like device that still lay in the center of the room. It seemed to be made of metal, but the top for some reason was made entirely out of glass. Slowly making his way over to get a better look, he felt his hand tighten around the trigger, his body already reacting as if he would encounter a threat. Once over, he felt his jaw fall open at what he found. 'A…a girl?'

Lying quietly within the pods glass encasement was a young woman, her eyes closed as if she was dreaming peacefully. Leaning over to get a better look at the girl, Kashim was surprised at how beautiful she was. Even from outside the slightly fogged and dirtied glass, her pale skin glowed under the fluorescent lighting that hung from the ceiling. She was wearing nothing but a short paper gown, giving the young warrior a generous look at her long, creamy arms and legs. Despite his years of battle prowess, his cool exterior cracked as he found himself blushing at the sight of her exposed extremities. He'd never seen that much of a female since he had been nothing more than a small whelp of a boy, and even then everyone had initially looked basically the same, and he found himself unable to refrain from staring.

Trying to shake the warmth from his face, he moved to try and get a closer look at her face. Her swan like neck rose from out of the drab paper that covered her, leading his gaze up to stare at her lips. As soon as he reached them, he stopped again, noticing that they appeared soft with their slight pink color against her flawless alabaster skin. Long, thick black lashes covered her closed eyes, lying gently over her cheeks which held a slight rosy hue to them. Impossibly long azure hair ran down from her head to the tops of her thighs, reminding the young warrior of the times he had seen the dark blue of the rivers as they flowed down stream. His gaze suddenly stopped, his mind and body prompting the second blush of his life as he gulped loudly, his vision suddenly drawn to where the paper gown crossed over her ample chest, giving him a clear view of her generous cleavage.

Hearing movement behind him, he ducked quickly behind the open door, ready to take down anyone that dared to enter. Seeing the large shadow moving cautiously through the door, he leapt out to face the intruder. Mere seconds before pulling the trigger, recognition kicked in, and he lowered the rifle from Andrei's face. "The men from the hallway?"

"Dead. They were so focused on killing you that they never saw me coming." Watching as Andrei glanced about the room, Kashim felt a near violent jealous streak rise within him, as if only he should have the opportunity to gaze on the sleeping female within the strange pod-like device. Making their way around the room, Andrei picked up one of the clipboards that had been left in front of one of the screens.

"What does it say?"

"This is strange…"

"What is it sir?"

"It seems to be…well it looked like it would be technical specifics, but they've integrated biological reactions as well." Skimming through the papers on the board, Andrei's face grew more confused than it had started. "These look like brainwave measurements, and these are…"

"Sir?" Andrei glanced over to the pod beneath the only light in the room, his expression growing grim. Following his gaze, Kashim moved back over to the pod and lightly touched the glass, looking intently at the young woman inside. 'What in Allah's name were they doing to you?' Kashim turned as he heard the sound of Andrei typing at one of the terminals, his long hair falling over his shoulders as he moved back over to get a better look at the screen before questioning his superior's actions.

"I'm trying to find a way of opening that thing. She may be able to tell us what was going on here." Kashim's look grew concentrated as he watched the older man at the terminal.

"What happens after that Sir? What will happen to her?" Andrei's typing slowed for a moment before he returned to his task of roaming from file to file; searching for the correct order that would open the pod and awaken the young woman inside. Hearing a sound of satisfaction from the older man, Kashim rushed back over to the pod, the small lights near the side of the glass blinking in a sequence only they understood. He stepped back a few steps as the pod began to move, tilting upward until it stood at nearly a sixty degree angle. With a hiss of air, the glass rotated back into the side of the metal pod. The young woman seemed to be strapped in place by Velcro straps around her wrists and ankles, and as they both carefully worked to free her from her confines, her head lulled forward, landing softly on Kashim's shoulder.

A soft groan echoed in his ear and Andrei chuckled at the look of utter distress on the boy's features. Such a close proximity between genders was unheard of in their society, and having a girl so close to him for the first time in his very life was conflicting at the very least. It wasn't that her pale skin was especially soft, or that her hair felt like the finest silks against his neck, but the fact that more than just their fingertips were touching was enough to have the boy mumbling verses from the Qur'an in order to keep himself focused. Taking off one of his longer tunics, Andrei wrapped the girl up before handing her back to Kashim, making sure he had his rifle prepared in case any leftover enemies should decide to play the hero and attack them on their way out. Once they found their way back into the open courtyard, Andrei lead the way straight to Majid, hoping to inform him of their discovery, and determine what to do with the girl the young warrior now held in his arms.


	2. Desert Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secrets of the facility are being brought to light one by one, and the sole survivor is now in the hands of the Mujahideen

Andrei followed closely behind Majid as they walked through the cleared hallways of the facility. Once all of the opposition had been dealt with, it had been no simple task trying to uncover the locations mysterious secrets. So far they had uncovered several series of laboratories, and rooms that could have been used for physical testing and monitoring. They had also discovered several bodies that were still hooked up to various wires and tubes. The machines still buzzing around them, the bodies had been left hanging from their hooks and straps, their eyes and mouths still open in the last moments of agony as the chemicals strangled from them the last vestiges of their lives. It was disturbing to say the least, and to know that they had stumbled upon, and freed one of the facilities intended subjects had them feeling ill at ease. Turning down yet another long corridor, Andrei continued giving cursory reports of the information they had uncovered about the strange facility. "So, there is also a large basement hangar with, what would appear to be, newer model armslaves?"

"Yes sir. I am not familiar with their name or classification, but from a general familiarity with them, I can safely say that they are far more advanced than the RK-92s in our current possession."

"This is good news. We will have our best pilots begin learning them immediately. They could help us immensely, especially if the Russians are still operating on the 'Savage' models." Majid stopped for a moment, running a hand down his beard in thought as new possibilities instantly came to his mind. With a few new armslaves, they could gain a better foothold in driving out the enemy. And with even a few more advanced models, the chances of defending themselves from future attacks would go up exponentially. He smiled as they once again turned down yet another one of the facilities winding corridors.

"Affirmative. Also, per your orders, Kashim has taken the girl into one of the holding rooms. We also have someone manning the CCTV systems, and are currently keeping an eye on her should she awake." Turning into the surveillance office, he asked the soldier to bring up the room holding the girl they had found in the strange pod device. Andrei cracked a smile as the screen came up, revealing that though the girl was in the room, and still sleeping peacefully, that the young warrior was still with her. Majid turned to him, a look of amused curiosity across his features.

"Is Kashim aware that we can watch her from here?" With a soft chuckle, Andrei glanced at his general before looking back at the young man on the screen.

"We told him that when he took her there."

"How long ago was that?"

"About three hours." Watching as the boy on the screen carefully moved away some hair from her face before retreating back into the corner he had been sitting in, Andrei wondered at the possibility that the gentle heart he had once witnessed in his young friend had simply been hidden away until a time when it would be needed. "Still, I wouldn't call his behavior surprising. Considering what we found in some of the other laboratories, our attack might have been the only thing that saved her life." Majid's face fell as his mind recalled the tortured faces on the 'subjects' they had found. No amount of battles or bloodshed could ever dull the chilling reality of what atrocities men committed in the name of science.

"Yes. May Allah guide their spirits, and find peace with him." Dropping his head a moment in silent prayer, Kalinin joined him in momentary silence, adding his respect for the dead.

Kashim watched the girl as she slept, still in awe at how lovely she was in her sleep. Though he would never admit such things out loud for fear of brutal retribution, he could at least allow himself that slight reprieve from their strict daily practices. He watched intently as her breath slowly rose her bountiful chest, only to lower it back down as she exhaled, noting with a fierce blush that with the movement, her breasts moved as well. Diverting his wandering eyes, he sent up a silent prayer of forgiveness, hoping that even though he had enjoyed every minute of watching her that Allah's wrath would not come upon him for breaking divine law. Hearing a faint groan, his head immediately whipped back to look at the girl on the bed. Her groan got a little louder, and she reached up to rub her eyes as she sat upright, the tunic he had laid over her falling to rest on her hips. "Where am I?" she mumbled sleepily.

Kashim watched wide eye as her long azure hair fell around her delicate shoulders in careful disarray, accenting the soft curves of her torso and framing her still sleepy face. She looked around her, still not really knowing where she was. When she turned in his direction, her once half-closed eyes widened as she let out an ear piercing scream. "Who the hell are you! Where am I! And don't you DARE lie to me jerk!"

Recoiling at the loud echo of her voice in the small room, he opened his mouth to try and explain the situation, only to be yelled at once again. "What the hell did you do to me while I was asleep you jerk! If I find out you so much as smelled my hair I'll kill you!"

"Miss please, calm down. I didn't do anyth-GAH!" His head banged sharply against the wall as the shoes she had thrown made contact with his face, his eyes wide with confusion. 'Wait a minute! She wasn't even wearing shoes! Where did she get those?'

"SHUT UP YOU MOLESTER PERVERT! I CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!"

Unable to bear watching the young man as he received probably the first real tongue lashing of his life, Andrei turned and made his way toward the holding cells. Upon his arrival, he found that she had started throwing any and all objects that weren't nailed down at Kashim, who for lack of anything better to think of, had simply turned around and faced the wall as the many items bounced painfully off the back of his head. She stopped only for a moment as the girl turned her head to look toward him. With a growl, she took a pillow in one hand, and whipped the tunic she had been using as a blanket over her head as if somehow it would become a more threatening tool. "Calling your friends for back up huh? Well stay away from me!"

Recognizing that she spoke Japanese, Andrei calmly strolled over to the distressed soldier in the corner and told him to just remain silent for the moment. When he turned to face the angered young woman again, he made sure to stay a good distance from her, so that she wouldn't perceive him as more of a threat than necessary. Switching to Japanese he tried to keep his voice as level as possible. "Please calm down Miss. We aren't going to hurt you."

"Yeah sure, that's what those scientist people said before they stuck all those needles into me and put in me in that thing!" Still holding tightly to her improvised weapons, Andrei moved slowly toward her. "Stay back! I mean it! Stay away from me!"

"Now now, Miss. Please just try to calm down. I few were going to hurt you; we would have done so while you were still asleep." Her hands lowered slightly, though she held her defensive stance, just in case she was being deceived. "We want to help you if we can, but we are going to need you to help us as well."

"What kind of help?" she asked as she eyed the two men critically from her side of the room.

"For starters, would you happen to know any other languages besides Japanese? Are you familiar with English perhaps?"

"…yes. I am, but I haven't spoken it in a while. All the scientists here spoke to me in Japanese. I don't know what language they were speaking when it was to each other."

"Then may we switch for the benefit of everyone? If we knew more about what went on here, we may be able to help you." Still eyeing the two from her place standing on top of the bed, she slowly stepped down and replied calmly in English.

"Alright, but what happens to me if you can't do anything? What then?" Andrei watched as she flinched when the young warrior stood and moved to stand beside him, noting as he then looked away, a dejected expression hiding behind the smoky grey of his eyes.

"We will do what we can; now if you promise to not attack anyone or try to run away, we can take you out of here to speak with our leader." She carefully nodded, and moved over when they opened the door to leave. As they walked down one of the seemingly endless hallways she wrapped her arms around herself, her head darting this way and that, as if expecting a sudden betrayal. Walking behind her Kashim kept his eyes trained on her form, the subtle way her hips moved keeping him silently mesmerized. Unable to tear his eyes away, the words popped from his mouth before he had anyway way of stopping them.

"What's your name?"

"Huh?" She turned around and stared at him as if he'd just appeared. She still had her arms wrapped around her shoulders, enhancing her already impressive cleavage that was exposed from under the top of the paper gown. Blushing furiously, he looked away as her eyes locked onto his for the first time, the fathomless pools of liquid chocolate reflecting a warmth that nearly rivaled the heat of the midday sun.

"Uh…I…I asked, what your name was." Hearing only silence, he wondered if she was casting yet another angry or disgusted look on her face. However, he could never have been more wrong. Even if he wasn't looking at her anymore, she had been caught off guard at just how beautiful his eyes were. For that instant, her very breath escaped her, trapped in deep pools of darkened silver; she had to force herself to remember the all too obvious answer to his question. Unfortunately, as she opened her mouth to answer, he interrupted her. "Y-you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I…I thought it might make proceedings go smoother if we knew what to call you, but if you don't want us to know then-"

"Kaname."

"Huh?"

"M-my name, it's Kaname. Kaname Chidori." They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, never noticing that Andrei watched from his place slightly further down the hall. Even from his unofficial hiding place, Andrei stood stunned as he saw the young warrior he had known for years break the first small smile he had ever witnessed since that day long ago when he watched as the officials from the KGB taking the child into their custody. 'She has absolutely no idea the miracle she has just witnessed…'

"It's nice to meet you, Kaname Chidori."

~~~~~***~~~~~

Kaname tried not to squirm under the gaze of the man in front of her. When they had finally entered one of the facilities interrogation rooms, a tall man with a beard had been waiting for them. Andrei had offered her a chair, and as they all sat down, she felt as though the bearded man could see right through her. She noticed that he had kind eyes though, so she was holding out for a positive outcome. "So, your name is Kaname Chidori, is that right?"

"Y-yes, sir." She was surprised when the battle hardened man smiled at her.

"May I ask what it is that took place here? Do you know at all?"

"I-I only know a little. They took me when I was on my way to school. They covered my mouth and threw me in a van, and then next thing I knew, I was in one of the holding rooms. Everyday they gave me something they called a vitamin drink, and after that they would put me in that weird pod thing." Her voice was void of all emotion, as if she was reciting a list of facts and nothing more. It was disturbing to hear a voice that had once been so full of life just a few minutes ago, being drained and losing all emotion.

"Miss Kaname, do you know where you are? What day it is?" She looked down at her hands a moment, her fingers intertwining themselves as she thought about the question.

"I-I really couldn't say. I know the few times they had let me walk around outside it was hot, so I guess we're maybe in the desert or something. And, the last day I remember it being was April 20th," she replied slowly. The men around her were shocked. No one had told her a thing, and yet they subjected her to multiple tests, strange injections, and all the while hadn't even told her where in the world she had been taken or why. "Excuse me…"

"Yes Miss Chidori?"

"C-could any of you tell me what day it is? How long I've been here?" Each of them eyed the other closely, wondering if they should break the news to her, or if they should keep the difficult truth from her a while longer. Coming to a decision, Andrei cast a glance to his general before squaring his shoulders and preparing himself for telling the poor girl what she needed to know. In all honesty, facing a firing squad would have been less nerve wracking, albeit on a different emotional level.

"Miss Chidori, I am saddened to say this …but today's date is March 15th. If what you say is true, then you have been kept at this facility for just under a year." Only his years of training and hardship were able to keep his features calm as they saw tears welling up in the young woman's eyes. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder didn't seem to help much, and as her head slowly dropped, the hot tears fell from her eyes like the desert rain upon the scorched earth. Just the sight of her shoulders shaking made Kashim feel as though he could kill something; and for the hundredth time that day, he wondered at why he should feel anything but pity for the young woman's situation.

She reached up to try and wipe the tears from her eyes, becoming frustrated that more followed, wetting the skin she had attempted to dry. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Don't fret about it Miss Chidori. We might not be able to do much, but perhaps we will be able to locate people who would be more sufficient in helping you to return home." Still with a few tears rolling down her face, she looked back at the general in confusion.

"But, I don't understand. Why would you want to help me? Shouldn't you're people take a higher priority than me?"

"Our concern, Miss Chidori, is to purge our homeland of those who would try and take it for themselves, with no other alternative than to destroy the beauty of it for profit. You were brought here against your will, and though the tests they put you through might have aided whatever sickening research they were conducting, you were just as much a prisoner here as the other, 'subjects' we found." Wiping away the tears from her still pink cheeks, Kaname straightened back up in her seat and forced herself to calm down.

"So, what will I do until we find a way to get me home?" It was impressive how, even when it6 was obvious that she still desperately needed the time to grieve for her losses, she still managed to wipe away her tears and hold her head high. The simple turnaround had left Kashim awed at her resilience, and the girl impressed him even further when he noticed that she had been able to make her shoulders stop shaking as well. Within moments she could go from miserable to such a calm and determined nature took a strong spirit, one that those gutless scientists had not been able to break.

"While I don't expect you to adhere to the strict rules of our society, I will ask for a few allowances. These are all for your betterment I assure you."

"Allowances?"

"Yes. For instance, in our belief system women must cover themselves from head to toe, and none but their husbands may see their faces." A grimace passed over her face before she could cover it up, and Kaname blushed in embarrassment when both Andrei and Majid chuckled at her expense. It was certainly not her intention to insult their beliefs, but the extreme he mentioned was not something she felt the need to experience.

"Yeah, uh, that may be a bit extreme for me…"

"I thought as much, which is why I mentioned allowances. I would ask however, that you cover everything past your neck, wrists, and ankles. I won't make you cover your head if you don't feel comfortable doing so." She nodded briefly in thanks before Majid continued. "Also, considering your circumstances, I would allow you to stay with a companion of your choosing. Normally, unless a woman is married, she lives with her family." Kashim bit his cheek hard at the thought of throwing her away to stay with strangers, or even Haidar. He tasted the coppery flavor of blood as the mere image of her having to endure a beating from the man due to a simple misunderstanding caused fury to spread within his gut. Fueled by the pure anger and hatred he felt for an event that had never taken place, the words rushed from his mouth before he even knew what he was saying.

"In the interest of your safety Miss Chidori, may I suggest you stay in my tent?" The other three occupants sat silently around the table, stunned that not only had the young man spoken so forwardly on the subject, but had spoken at all. Normally he would have remained silent until asked, or clarifying his orders once the meeting was through. From under his long bangs, Kashim hoped that none of them could see the deep blush that had sprung to his face. After a few moments of awkward silence, Andrei spoke up.

"I see no issues with the suggestion, considering her unique circumstances. Though I am curious as to why you would be the one to make such a suggestion, my friend." Raising his head slightly, Kashim hoped the dim lighting would be able to hide the remaining traces of pink on his face.

"Uh, well…I-I thought that since she already knows us, it might be a bit more comfortable. Also, I, I thought that the language barrier might hinder any real chances of companionship between her and the other women. Not many of the women are familiar with enough English to converse, and are even less versed in Japanese…" Kashim held his breath as Majid thoughtfully stroked his beard, watching the older man carefully from under his long bangs.

After a few tense moments, Majid nodded, lowering his hands to fold in front of him. "That reasoning is the most logical Kashim. Though, I don't have to remind you of our customs concerning the fairer sex, do I?" His grey eyes going wide at his general's implications, he lowered his head in respect, speaking quickly so as to try and hide his jealous thoughts from earlier.

"Of course not General, Sir! I-I only meant that such an arrangement might help proceedings go smoother until we are able to think of a more sufficient means of assisting her!" The two older men glanced at each other from their places at the table, hiding knowing smirks behind their perfectly etched, stone faces. Kaname continued to sit quietly in her chair, still surprised at how adamant the young man beside her seemed in helping her, despite the fact that they had not only met a few hours ago, but also had not experienced the best first impression. She saw as the young man twitched when Majid coughed, clearing his throat to speak.

"Then if you have no objections Miss Chidori, you may stay with Kashim. He is one of my finest warriors, and I have no doubt that he would be able to keep you adequate company until we are able to find a better solution." Glancing shyly in his direction, Kaname silently gulped at the idea that she would be living with a young man she had barely met. Nodding, she turned to face the young warrior and bowed from within her seat.

"T-thank you for your generous offer, I'll try to not be a bother to you." He blushed again, for what seemed to be the millionth time that day, and he was starting to wonder if something was wrong with him.

After searching the facility for the room Kaname had been assigned before her 'rescue', they managed to locate it, giving Kaname a chance to find a few more suitable garments. After packing, Kashim escorted her to the corner of the facility where Andrei had set up his tent for him. Even after all of his surprisingly zealous efforts to finding out more about her, Kaname was amazed that he even went so far as holding open the flap of his tent for her. Thankfully, her hair covered her blushing face as she bent to enter the cloth home.

It wasn't a very large tent, but it certainly couldn't be called small either. There would have been room for at least four people to sleep comfortably on the floor, and though the fabric for it seemed thin to the touch, it seemed that from the wear on the edges that it could definitely take a beating. Turning to find him still standing in the entryway, she bowed deeply. "T-thank you again for allowing me to stay with you. I-I promise I won't be any trouble at all."

"Really Miss Chidori, it's no problem at all. You can choose either side to sleep, and feel free to use the futo-" Kaname's eyes widened as Kashim was yanked from where he stood and flung out onto the hard, dry dirt. Rushing to tear back the tent flap that kept her view blocked, she spied an incredibly large man forcing Kashim down on the ground with his foot, spouting out what sounded like angry words in a foreign tongue. She watched in horror as Kashim tried to get up, and the man begun to kick him in the stomach.

"Please stop this!" She tried to run over to help him, but as he rolled over, the look in his eyes stopped her dead in her tracks. It was the first time she had ever seem eyes so cold, and when he spoke to her, his tone of voice sent chills up her spine.

"Miss Chidori, you will remain silent!" Kaname stood frozen as the young man being pressed to the ground switched to a language she couldn't understand. "Haidar! Why have you taken me from my tent? I have done nothing to yo-" Another sharp kick to the stomach not only silenced his words, but also forced him to empty his stomachs contents on the dirt beneath him. The large man then brought his foot down hard onto Kashim's back, forcing him to lay in the vomit and dirt.

"You despicable son of a jackal! You forced my daughter to feed you!" A few more kicks to Kashim's side had him rolling onto his back, trying to shift the pain away from his abdomen. Haidar grabbed hold of his collar and dragged him up to his knees, upon seeing the defiant look in the boy's eyes; he punched him hard in the cheek. Kaname reached out a hand, inching closer to try and stop the brutal treatment when a hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to see that Andrei had caught up with them, and looked at him pleadingly to stop the unnecessary punishment.

"I'm sorry Miss Chidori, but there is nothing I can do. Haidar believes his daughters' honor may have been compromised, and he will not stop until he feels justified."

"But he-" Andrei shook his head, a deep grimace on his face as the sound of Haidar's fist contacting with the boys face echoed through the camp. Hearing how many hits the boy was taking, Kaname dropped to her knees and covered her ears, feeling hot tears rolling down her cheeks to moisten the dust on the ground. Though she pressed her hands as hard against her head as she could, nothing could tune out the sickening rhythm of the man's beating.

Taking one more hit to the face, Kashim felt one of his molars come loose, and rather than give Haidar the satisfaction of collecting his prize, he swallowed it quickly. Haidar must have grown tired of hitting him, as he was once again thrown to the ground and pressed onto Kashim's back with his foot. The pain was exquisite, and Kashim supposed he might even have a few fractured ribs this time. Hoping that Haidar was now satisfied, he tried to push himself up from the ground. "I have not yet finished with you boy! Forty lashings for tempting my daughter's purity with your lies!"

"I have not tempted anyone Haidar!"

"Silence boy! You will feel the sharp tongue of my whip before I am finished with you! Restrain him!" Two of Haidar's companions dragged him up from the ground and threw him over one of the trunks they used to store fresh linens. Binding his hands and running the rope through the loop on the trunk where the lock was supposed to go. After making sure he was properly tied, Haidar had his wife bring him his whip.

Kashim tucked his tongue back, knowing that if he didn't when the whip made contact, he may very well bite it off. Daring a glance over to the girl who he was supposed to be helping, he felt an overwhelming guilt flow through him. The feeling settled in his stomach, enhancing the pain in his now heavily bruised, and possibly fractured, ribs. He never wanted her to witness how most of the men preferred treating him. Having to be taken from one's home to be used as nothing more than another lab rat was bad enough. He was immediately brought out of his thoughts as the first of the lashings licked its way painfully across his back, leaving a thick scratch open across his skin. He ground his teeth together, holding back the yell of pain as yet another lashing slid across his skin. He wouldn't scream, he wouldn't even whimper; it would have pleased Haidar to see the heretic boy giving into the pain caused by his whip. Two lashings down, only thirty-eight to go…


	3. Winds of Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaname has woken up to find herself in a harsh and unrelenting place far from the home she once knew

It was a few hours later that Kaname found herself huddled behind a shady corner of the facility, still slightly shaking from the horrible treatment she had witnessed earlier. Once Haidar had been satisfied, he had just left, taking his wife and companions with him. Andrei had then gone over to the young man, who had been on the verge of passing out from the intense pain emanating from the marks left by the whip, as well as the pain from the heavy bruising on his ribs and abs. She had been unable to watch as Andrei practically had to drag him back to his own tent, and though she was still disturbed by the harsh treatment, she was more than a little angry at herself for not doing anything to try and stop it. Feeling that she was no longer alone, she turned her head to find Majid had joined her under the cool shade. "You are saddened by what you saw earlier, Miss Chidori?"

Kaname hugged her knees tighter, her memory bringing back the loud clapping of the whip as it made contact with Kashim's back. "Yes sir. But I…"

"You are perhaps wondering why he did not fight back? Even if he was innocent of any crime, am I right?" Majid received his answer as she continued to stare at the dirt, the small particles kicking themselves up with the light afternoon breeze. "The reason he did not fight back, Miss Chidori, is because honor is especially important to us. Haidar had reason to believe that his daughter might have been taken advantage of by Kashim, and felt he had to reclaim any honor he may have lost."

"But that doesn't make what he did right!" Kaname covered her mouth quickly after realizing that she might have insulted Majid with her words. Honor was not something she was unfamiliar with, being from Japan, honor was an enormous part of the countries heritage, even still playing a part in the modern period as well, but to attack someone without provocation or any real proof of his crimes was something she felt was unforgivable. "I…I'm sorry sir, I …I didn't mean to-"

"No, I know you meant it, Miss Chidori. I don't blame you for your beliefs, anymore than you would for mine. I am aware of the feelings some of my men harbor for Kashim, yet there truly is nothing I can do about it." The two sat in silence for a moment, the sounds of the men and women moving about the facility echoed against the concrete walls, and Kaname found herself surprised how peaceful everything seemed. Unfortunately, it only served to remind her that some of the people truly did see nothing wrong with what had happened to one of their own, and she had to force herself to hold back another wave of tears.

"Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why can't you do anything to help him? Why do they treat him that way? It, it makes no sense to me…" Majid crossed his arms in thought, trying to find the best way of describing to the young woman just why things were the way they were.

"Both questions have the same answer, Miss Chidori. It is because he is not one of us." She turned her face to look at him, her gaze both hurt and shocked by his answer to her words. She turned fully to face him, tucking her legs under her as she did so.

"Like being different is his fault! He can't help that! No one can!" Sighing as he stroked his beard, Majid decided that it may serve her well to know everything, thus putting things in better perspective.

"Kashim and I met for the first time about nine years ago. We had found him wandering through the Darwaz poppy fields in the high north of our province, they thought he had been separated from his family, and tried to help. When the men who found him brought him back to camp, he surprised them. He successfully subdued the four men that had found him, and was making his way toward my tent. He was caught, and it wasn't until a week later that we finally figured out who he really was." Majid paused for a moment, making sure Kaname was still listening. "As it turns out, Kashim was sent from the Russian KGB as an assassin to kill me. He failed of course." A light chuckle came from the general at his own joke, and though Kaname was able to understand the somewhat morbid humor, she was even more saddened about the by situation than before.

'Nine years ago? That meant he would have been just a little boy! A child was being trained to kill? That's disgusting! How could those people do that to an innocent little child!' Kaname thought as she felt rage at the monsters that would put children through such training, taking away what innocence they had and replacing it with the urge to kill. Her fists shook at the thought of who Kashim might have once been, and with the kindness that had shown through his steel grey eyes before being thrown from his tent, she guessed that he might have even been a very sweet boy once as well.

"Regardless," Majid continued. "I kept him with us, adopting him as my own. I taught him everything I knew about Guerilla Warfare, using the land as both our cover and our prize when the enemy was finally driven back. We fought together for three years, and during a later battle with the Russians, he was taken prisoner. I did all I could to get him back, fighting whoever crossed my path, until finally, just about nine months later we found him. Kalinin was with him, and with his help, we have been able to keep the enemy at bay." Majid heard a light whimper, and turned his head to find that she was crying again, her once shaking fists now lay limply on her legs as she listened, and the tears darkening the long sleeved shirt she wore.

"So…he's just been fighting this whole time?" Nodding his head she reached up and wiped away the tears still clinging to her cheeks. "But, I still don't understand. Why is he treated so horribly, especially if Mr. Kalinin was once with your enemy as well? Why don't they attack him too?"

"He may have once been with the enemy, but he had also been the key into how their forces operated. He gave us a better understanding of our enemy and how they worked, both as a unit and as themselves. In the eyes of my men, Kalinin gave them something valuable in return for sparing his life; while Kashim…" he left the rest for her to fill in, knowing that she would be able to figure things out easily now. Turning up to look at him again, Majid knew by the look in her eyes that she indeed understood, but that certainly didn't mean she had to like it.

"Can I ask you one more question sir?"

"You may." Kaname cleared her throat, and after making sure that she had cleared away the last of the tears, she spoke once more.

"What would you do if he ever fought back? Would he still be punished?"

"I wouldn't be able to interfere if that is what you're asking, but I certainly wouldn't punish anyone for standing up for themselves and their right to be fairly heard. Doing so would make me a bit of a hypocrite I think." Kaname nodded at his response, and making a decision, she stood and dusted herself off.

"Thank you sir," she replied quietly with a bow, then turned and made her way back through the camp. Majid continued to sit in the shade a while more, a faint smirk across his features.

'Ah Kashim, you have your hands full with her already…'

His breath was labored as Andrei cleaned the very last of the dirt that clung to the still bleeding scratches across his back. Having to prop himself up from his elbows, it didn't matter if he slouched or straightened his back, the pain seemed to come at his torso from every direction. Andrei offered a clean towel to him, and all but whipping it away from the older man, he wiped the sweat from his face. Haidar had gone easy on him this time. Most of the scratches were small enough, while last time, they had all but ripped the very skin from his back. Once done wiping off his face, he bit the material as another wave of pain coursed through him. "I'll be back with some fresh bandages. I shouldn't be long."

A nod was all Andrei got as his answer as he lifted back the tents curtain, making sure to secure it before he left completely. Turning to head back toward his own tent for the fresh medical supplies, he was surprised when he found that Kaname now stood in front of him, a bundle of fresh bandages and medicine in her hands. "Miss Chidori, was there something perhaps you needed?" He watched as she stood there a moment, her long hair swaying behind her in the late afternoon breeze.

"I…I wanted to help."

"Are you sure? It isn't a pretty sight in there." She looked almost as if she wasn't sure if she should, glancing away when the full weight of what needed to be done came down on her. Finally, with a shake of her head, she met his eyes with a determined gaze.

"I'm sure." Andrei recognized that look, it was all too familiar to him. As he met her eyes, her determination to help someone, as well as the courageous spirit that the scientists had not been able to break, she reminded him so much of his long, lost Elina. Nodding, he opened the tent curtain for her, making sure to re-secure it once she was inside. Making his way back to his tent, he found his thoughts wandering back to the two most cherished that he had lost so many years ago.

Kaname stood frozen near the curtain, the sight of his back having caught her off guard. The longest of the scratches were probably about 4-5 inches, but the sheer number of them, and the awkward angles in which they crossed was going to make moving even harder for him. Squaring her shoulders, she finished the short walk over to him and kneeled, taking note that while they weren't bleeding badly anymore, she would still need to wipe away what she could and dry off his skin before applying the fresh bandages. Reaching over to take one of the cleaning cloths from the bucket of reddened water, she carefully set to work.

"You're less harsh than usual about this sir."

"I would hope so, you could use a gentle touch after what you just went through." His head sprung up and turned to find that the one cleaning his wounds was most definitely NOT his superior officer. The quick movement had another jolt of pain course through him, and he found himself at a loss for words as it slowly receded.

"M-Miss Chidori! Why are you here? I thought-"

"Hold still, or you'll open them again and I'll have to start all over." Kaname all but shoved his head back down toward his arms, continuing her work cleaning the last of the seeping blood from the cuts on his back. He blushed furiously from under his long hair, glad that it could hide his face from her. A light sheen of sweat was gathering on his hairline, and as the breeze lightly made its way through the curtain, he could smell the sweet scent from her hair conditioner before dying down. It took all of his control to keep his hands from shaking; no one other than Andrei had ever done this for him, and certainly no female had ever even come this close to him, let alone touch him. He focused on his breathing, both trying to keep another wave of pain at bay, as well as to distract himself from the fact that there was a girl doing something this personal for him. So focused on trying to not dwell on who was helping him, he almost missed it when she spoke to him.

"I'm sorry, what was that Miss Chidori?"

"I asked you why you don't fight back when he does this to you, when you're innocent of whatever he's accusing you of?" His shoulders slumped slightly at the question. Kaname had already heard her answers from General Majid, now she wanted to know the answers from him.

"It's…well it's complicated, Miss Chidori. These people took me in, even after I …"

"Go on. I want to hear everything you have to say."

"…I, I tried to kill Majid, a long time ago, but even after that, Majid was the one who gave me a place to come back to. If some of the men still have a lingering hatred for me, then I can't blame them for that." He hissed as she applied the medicine to the first of his scratches, the liquid stinging as it killed any harmful bacteria that might have lingered in the cut.

"That doesn't answer my question Kashim. Why don't you defend yourself when you're not at fault?" She felt his muscles flex as she applied some more of the medicine to another one of his cuts, waiting patiently for him to speak.

"Honor is an important thing to a man, Miss Chidori. In some circumstances, a man's honor may be all he has. Haidar believed that Fatin's honor may have been tarnished when she came into my tent without permission, and without a chaperon."

"Fatin?"

"His eldest daughter." She made a small sound of acknowledgment as she carefully moved some stray strands of his hair from his shoulders, surprised when the muscles beneath relaxed under her touch. "It couldn't have been avoided this time. The night before our raid on this facility, she came to my tent and offered me a bowl of palau she had prepared."

"What's palau?"

"It's a rice based dish. Mostly consisting of rice, chicken, onions, and carrots, but there can be variants."

"I see, so you couldn't turn her away, but you shouldn't have taken it either."

"…yes. I knew this would happen either way, the only difference would have been whether or not I had eaten well that night." Another light hiss of air came out as she placed the last of the medicine over the cut that lay just over the small of his back, the nerves tingling painfully as they reacted to the disinfecting gel. Taking the first roll of bandages, Kaname repositioned herself closer to his head.

"Can you sit up at all? It's time to wrap them." Watching as he carefully moved his legs under him, Kaname reached out to his shoulder, trying to help steady him as his arms shook from the slow pace he was forced to use. Finally sitting up for the first time in the last four hours, she carefully reached around began wrapping his torso in the sanitized cloth. Unbeknownst to each other, they both had to suppress the deep blush at being in such close proximity, as well as being alone. It took only a few minutes to finish wrapping him up and securing the bandage, so when she had finally finished and put all of the dirty cleaning cloths aside, he started to feel nervous again. "Kashim?"

"Uh, yes?"

"I want you to do me a favor. Will you please?"

"I, uh…that is, I'll try. What is it you need Miss Chidori?" Placing both her hands in her lap, she stared directly into his eyes, trying desperately not to fall into them, as her determined mind brought back the favor she wanted to ask of him.

"I want you to stand up for yourself." His shoulders slumped as he processed her request, trying to find the right words to explain that he felt he really had no choice in the matter.

"Miss Chidori, I told you already. There was nothing I could do to avoid what happened today, Haidar-"

"Haidar has nothing to do with it; it sounds to me like his daughter is the one at fault here. Not you." Her words had him stunned. Never had anyone of the men who disliked him ever considered that someone else would be at fault, it just wasn't possible. He was the outsider, the heretic, he was the one that did not belong and therefore he was to blame. "If she knew you would be in trouble by doing what she did, then she's the one who compromised her own honor! Yours too! Did you ever even think that?"

"I…well, I was never really-"

"That's why I'm asking you, Kashim, as a friend, please don't let him beat you like that again!" His eyes went wide when she spoke, one of her hands reaching out to rest on his knee. Thinking on what she had said, what she had practically begged of him, while looking into those warm brown eyes of hers, any resolve he may have once possessed crumbled away in an instant. The open look of desperation, fear, and sadness for him radiated from those eyes, and he found himself unable to look away. Even when he had known Kalinin and Majid for most of his life, neither of them had ever displayed such open feelings toward his well being. The fact that he was still alive alone had been a testament to the fact that they cared enough to watch his back without putting a knife through it.

"You…really think of me …." She giggled at his expression as she sat back, reaching up to wipe away the wetness from her eyes.

"Of course I do. You are my designated companion after all. Who else can I really depend on out here if not you?" Another deep blush stained his cheeks, and she laughed at the distressed look on his face at being caught. Reacting without thinking, her hand came up to playfully slap his chest, before remembering that he was injured there as well…

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Slowly, he fell backward onto the thin floor mat, his face contorted in the waves of excruciating pain radiating out from his bruised ribs. That is, until he landed on the deep scratches from his lashing.

"Aahhhh, this is…quite…uncomfortable."

"I'm so sorry Kashim, are you alright?" Focusing long enough, he managed a small 'I'll be fine', before laying his head back down on the mat, his breathing somewhat labored as he tried to ride out the pain. Misinterpreting him for a moment, Kaname sighed and turned her head with a 'hmph'. "You men and your macho attitudes, all you ever do is brush off whatever doesn't kill you!" Once again, Kaname forgot to pay attention to his wound placement and poked him hard in the chest to drive home her point.

"GAH! Miss Chidori…please…stop that."

"AH! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The next morning, Kaname woke to find she was alone in the tent. Looking around, at first she was confused, as she noticed Kashim's rifle was still propped up against the small trunk he used to carry his ammunitions. Finally sitting up, she stretched out the kinks in her shoulders, smiling as she felt the rush of endorphins through her muscles, helping her to wake up. Hearing the tent flap open, she turned to find a wincing Kashim with two bowls of rice porridge. Hissing as the skin of his back stretched when he kneeled, he offered her one of the bowls. "I thought you might wake soon, so I went to get some breakfast."

Taking the steaming bowl carefully, she thanked him, moving to sit on her legs so that she could eat more comfortably. She was about to start eating, when she looked over and saw him join his hands, reciting a strange phrase before picking up his spoon. "Uh, what did you say?"

"Hm?"

"That, word, what was it you just said?"

"You mean bismillah? It's a recital to ask Allah to bless the meal we've received. I think the closest you would have in Japan would have been 'itadakimasu'. Kaname's eyes went wide a moment as he spoke, the words from both cultures coming so naturally from his lips. She had noticed right away that his nationality wasn't that of his fellow warriors, but she never would have dreamed that he was originally Japanese.

"So you do speak Japanese?" Her surprise made him smirk, she looked so cute when she was curious. Though he'd be damned if he could ever speak those words aloud.

"Yes Miss Chidori, in fact, I speak, read, and write it as well. Russian and English too." He had to fight back the blush that wanted to rise to his face. She seemed so excited that someone she was acquainted with was versed in more than two languages.

"So you know three languages fluently?"

"Well, those aren't the only ones I know. I also about forty of the local dialects, but compared to everyone else, my speech is somewhat lacking."

"Now how can knowing forty some odd dialects be lacking? I still get confused when hearing someone from Okayama speak too quickly," she replied with a giggle, the sound sparking yet another wave of heat on his cheeks. Taking a few spoonfuls of his meal, she waited patiently for his answer.

"You see, average knowledge in the various dialects usually start around fifty, so since I only know about forty, it's a disadvantage to me at times." She made a quiet sound of acknowledgment before taking another bite of her porridge. The two continued to eat in comfortable silence, each secretly happy that they now knew another piece of the other. As they neared the end of their meal, Kaname glanced over, noticing that Kashim was now sitting incredibly still.

"Uh, Ka-"

"Shh!" Kaname stared at him a few more seconds, not sure why he had so rudely shushed her. A faint breeze moved the curtain, and faster than she could follow, he practically flipped from his seat and grabbed his rifle to crouch as he aimed it in the direction he had just come from. Just as Kaname was about to berate him for being so paranoid over a breeze, a young woman pushed aside the curtain, the surprise that the warrior had not been alone written clearly in her black eyes from under the brightly colored charadi she wore. Taking a breath as he stood, he lowered his rife, though still clutching the handle in case a threat presented itself. Recognizing her, he switched to the language she was most familiar with. "You may speak Fatin."

Kaname watched carefully from her seat on the floor, trying to hide her surprise upon catching the name he spoke amidst the other unfamiliar words. The other girl nodded, lowering down to her knees before bringing around a bowl of beef chunks and rice. "I had thought you might need the nourishment to heal." Once again, she dared another quick look directly into his deep grey eyes before quietly continuing. "Was I perhaps, out of place?"

Running a hand through his long hair, Kashim weighed his options again. It was inevitable that he would have to face Haidar again now, and he had to admit, though he harbored no ill will for the man, he really wished he did not have to constantly be on his bad side. Deciding it best to not be rude, he kneeled and reached out to accept the offering. "I am honored that you would think of my health Fatin. I am very grateful."

Kaname watched as the other girl nodded at his acceptance, flinching when as she retreated, she shot what Kaname interpreted as a very dirty look. Still kneeling with the bowl of food he had been given, he sighed quietly once the curtain closed and he heard her move away. Setting the bowl down, he set his rifle back where it had been before sitting and continuing to eat his meal. "Uh, Kashim?"

"Yes Miss Chidori?"

"I…don't think Fatin likes me very much…" The spoonful of porridge never made it to its destination. Lowering his bowl to sit in front of him, he turned to try and explain things. Kaname sat patiently as he collected his thoughts, suppressing a giggle as he fidgeted, a hand rushing up to rub his neck before he remembered that such actions were painful to the broken skin on his back.

"You see, Miss Chidori, I-I think the reason she may have given you that look…uh…"

"Yeah? So what's wrong?"

"I,…I believe she may see your current living arrangement as a…" his voice faded off, hardly daring to even whisper the prospective view the other girl may have had. Tilting her head to the side in confusion, Kaname strained to hear the last of his words against the noise outside the tent.

"What was that?"

"A trial marriage." Kaname froze a moment, only moving again when the porridge in her mouth had begun sliding down her throat as she tried to inhale. Leaning forward as she coughed, Kashim moved quickly to pat her back as she tried to quickly clear her airways. Finally stopping, she put up a hand to indicate that she was fine, letting him move back to his seat on the ground as she evened out her breathing.

"So, she thinks you and I are dating?"

"Well, not entirely Miss Chidori."

"What do you mean? I thought you said-"

"Just listen a second. Unlike many other locations in the world, Muslims don't date for fun. The purpose of meeting the opposite sex is to determine if they would be compatible for marriage. The misunderstanding here, is that Fatin views your current arrangement as a 'trial marriage'. It's not unlike dating, but it is not a widely practiced part of courtship." Seeing her looking just as confused, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of just how to explain where the cultural differences had been crossed. Unfortunately, not being well versed in any real forms of formal courtship, he was coming up a bit short. He knew how things worked of course, but trying to put things into perspective for someone completely unfamiliar with things was proving difficult.

"Kashim?"

"Huh, uh yes?"

"So, Fatin just thinks that I'm trying to marry you, right?" With a sigh, of thankfulness, he regained his thoughts.

"Yes, though not all trial marriages inevitably lead to a successful union, it's not a widely practiced part of courtship because of strict religious laws." She nodded at his answer, still not fully understanding, but then she never really studied other religions before, so she figured it was alright if she was a bit ignorant of their ways and practices. When both finally finished, Kaname piled up the dishes as Kashim reached over to take hold of his rifle, hissing as it landed roughly when sliding it over his back.

"You really should go a lot easier on yourself you know."

"It's not a problem; I should be fine in another day or so. We should visit the General now; he wanted to speak to you about the possibility of getting you home."

"Alright, where should I take the dishes?" Slipping on her shoes, she joined him at the curtain.

"We can leave them with the women on the way over, his tent is set up on the other side of the facility." Opening the curtain for her, Kaname stepped out into the already blazing hot sunlight, blinking her eyes as they slowly became accustomed to the brightness of the mid-morning sun. "Miss Chidori."

"Yeah?"

"On the way over, please remember to not say anything or make eye contact with anyone. When we get there, I will give the dishes over to the other women, and then we can continue onward towards the General's tent." Her face fell a moment, releasing a quiet sigh at how much she had yet to learn about the people who had saved her.

"Everything is so different here; I don't think I can ever get used to it." Still securing his tent curtain, Kashim turned and readjusted his rifle before addressing her.

"I wouldn't worry about it so much Miss Chidori. You're doing what you can, and that's all anyone can really ask." Her head still lowered, the two began their walk across the dusty grounds towards the Generals tent. She had been so distracted by her thoughts; she almost hadn't caught when he had addressed her. "We fight for the happiness and freedom of everyone in this country Miss Chidori. Last time I checked, you were in this country too right?"


	4. Fire Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan has been made on how to get Kaname back home, and though things seem calm within the Mujahideen, there are always those who can not be trusted.

Once being admitted into the General's tent, Kaname followed Kashim's actions as he kneeled to await his superior's acknowledgement. Receiving a nod, both kneeled back on their heels to wait being addressed. "A wonderful morning Allah has blessed us with this day, hasn't he Kashim?"

"Yes sir." Turning to set aside what Kaname guessed might have been one of many different maps; he smiled back at her warmly.

"I trust you have had a restful night Miss Chidori?" Bowing slightly, Kaname smiled back at the man who had promised to do all he could in assisting her to return home.

"Yes sir, thank you for asking."

"As Kashim has probably told you, I believe we may have found a way to get you back home." Reaching back for the large paper map on the top of the pile, he brought it over to set it between them. Large red circles and long lines were drawn across the map, though all of them seemed to travel between only two specific points. "If memory serves, there is an American Military base located here," he pointed to the lower of the two circles. "This is the city of Kabul, and this marking over here is our current location. That's puts us approximately one hundred and eighty-six miles away from the city."

"One hundred eighty-six point ninety-two, to be exact. That's a long way to travel on foot sir. Considering the terrain once we leave the valley, things will only get more difficult once we ascend into the snowy tops of the Hindukush Mountain range." Nodding, Majid also pointed out the many provincial dividing lines, citing that they would also have to cross over points of the Nurestan, Laghman, and Kapisa provinces before entering the Kabul province and nearing the city. "Travelling over so many mountain tops will be a great hindrance sir; even with that being the fastest route, it would probably take almost fourteen days to reach the city."

"Unfortunately for us, Kabul is Miss Chidori's best option if she really wants to return home. The Americans are aware of our faction, and our country has their support should the Russians take more direct action in their attempt to take our land. Miss Chidori?" Still stunned at the long distance between where she was taken and where she would have to go, Kaname almost missed it when the general addressed her.

"Uh, yes sir?"

"Would I be correct in assuming you have some relation to Environmental High Commissioner Chidori?" Both men were able to see her expression fall slightly, her shoulders bunching up in response to the now obvious question. With a heavy sigh, she lifted her gaze back up to them.

"Yes sir. He's my Father."

"Then they should be able to see to it that you return safely to him in New York."

"I wasn't living in New York sir. I…I lived alone, in Tokyo." The two of them looked at her in surprise, though still noticing that she didn't seem particularly happy about the statement. It was unheard of to allow a young, un-married woman to live completely by herself in their society, and although it was more common in other parts of the world, for her age, it still felt strange. Disregarding things for now, Majid continued.

"Well, either way I am certain they will be of more help than we can be Miss Chidori. Kashim?"

"Sir?"

"Would you be willing to be Miss Chidori's guard and escort to the city? Since you two are already familiar with each other, things might move quicker that way." Nodding, he spared a quick peek to see if she was still somewhat sad from her earlier admission about her family. Not wanting to drag things out longer than necessary, he turned back to his general with a determined look.

"Sir, I'd be honored to be entrusted with her care on the journey to the city." Majid nodded, turning to look back at the girl sitting next to the young warrior.

"Then we will prepare for your journey Miss Chidori. You will be on your way home in three days time."

"Three days? Why so long Sir?"

"Because you must finish healing Kashim. I will not send the two of you to cross such treacherous roads when you still have open wounds on your back." For a moment, Kaname swore she could see him pouting, as if someone had told their child they had to wait a while before going swimming with friends. Her mood picking up a bit, she tried to contain her giggles as they were dismissed. Holding the curtain for her as they once again came out into the hot sun, Kaname smiled in thanks as she stood upright, stretching out her legs after having sat on them for a while.

"Miss Chidori, would you like to use the facilities showers? You might wish to wash up a bit after so much has happened." Kaname ran her fingers through her hair, cringing when she could feel how greasy the strands felt. Shaking her hand free of her dirtied tresses, she looked back at him with a thankful expression.

"That sounds wonderful actually. I haven't bathed since before they forced me into that pod. I can't imagine I smell very pleasant," she added with a nervous laugh. Glancing down, she kicked at the dirt a moment, trying to hide the blush that had sprung up at the thought that he would consider her physical cleanliness.

"Should I escort you?"

"Huh?"

"Uh! I-I only meant, if you wanted me too! If you were fine, I would volunteer for a short patrol duty and be back once you've finished. That is, if you'd prefer to do that. I-I could guard outside the baths…I guess…" His hand itched to rush to the back of his head in embarrassment, and it was only due to his training that it stayed immobile at his side. He could only hope that his long bangs helped to hide the blush spreading across his cheeks at the thought of standing guard outside the baths while she took care of herself…only around a tiled corner…completely nude…

Kaname seemed to have come up with the same ideas, as she suddenly found her face felt far warmer than it had been before. Not realizing that her nervous responses had taken over, her hand shot to the back of her head and she let out a long nervous laugh. "Um, n-no that's fine ahahahaha! Really, I should be able to manage! You go ahead and take care of your patrols, I-I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with any of the other men for not performing your duties."

Able to steel himself into a calm after the brazen thoughts had left his mind for the moment, he steadied his breathing and nodded. "Alright then Miss Chidori. I should return from patrols in about an hour, if you finish before then, just head back to the tent. I can pick up lunch for us after I get back."

"Okay. I'll see you when you get back then." Almost shyly, a small grin came to his face as he readjusted his rifle on his shoulder, hissing again when the sharp metal scraped against the wounds spread across his back. Waving as he turned, Kaname watched as he lightly jogged over to one of the small jeeps with three of the other men. As the jeep drove off, Kaname smiled to herself, whispering a quiet 'Be careful' as she saw the vehicle zoom through the main gate.

~~~~~***~~~~~

Kaname stood under the hot stream of water, large billows of steam building up around her from the heat. The bathing area was a large tiled room, with baths along the back wall. Smaller separated shower stalls ran along the walls, and each had a short curtain for added privacy. Taking hold of a bottle of shampoo, Kaname had just started scrubbing the grime from her hair when she heard some of the other women come in. They still had their chardis on, and Kaname was able to point out Fatin's from earlier that morning. She had come in with four other women, and from their mannerisms, she guessed they were probably friends. Hoping to stay out of their way and avoid making enemies due to misunderstanding, Kaname simply continued to wash her hair. Still, glancing over to them as they prepared for their baths, Kaname couldn't help but feel envious of them. 'I miss everyone so much! Kyoko, and Ren, Mizuki, Shinji…I miss them all! I wanna go home!' With that thought though, her mind sought to remind her that when she finally did make it home, she would most likely never see Kashim ever again. Surprising herself, that thought suddenly had her feeling very sad, despite the fact that she had met him only the day before.

'Why?' she thought as the hot water rinsed the last of the shampoo from her long azure locks. 'Why does the thought of never seeing him again hurt so much?'

From across the showers, Fatin and her friends glared at the foreign girl, knowing that if they kept their voices sounding happy, she wouldn't realize they were talking about her. "Such a strange girl, does she perhaps think herself better than us?"

"Who knows what she thinks, it doesn't matter to us anyway."

"Honestly, I can't believe we're even helping her. For all we know she could be a spy for those damned Russians!"

"At least the ones that were once here have been dealt with. I have been listening to the stories from the other men while washing the linens. Kashim had taken many of those filthy heathens down before discovering that strange girl."

"Fatin?"

"Yes Amal?"

"Tell me, why is it that you pursue Kashim when you could have any one of the young men? It makes no sense to me." Fatin smiled as she removed her charadi, her long black red hair falling down her shoulders. As her friends followed suit, she took hold of her towel once disrobed and turned to face them.

"It is simple Amal. He is strong, and he is the General's adopted son. When the time comes, he will lead us with the same ferocity as the General, and if I am at his side, we will never fall to those despicable Russians."

"But Fatin, really, you should just let your father choose a suitable man for you like we are. You know he would only choose the best for you." Fatin shook her head, her long hair swaying with each movement.

"My father would choose someone of a lower rank just to suit his tastes. I have my eyes on the one proven to be the strongest, and that man is Kashim." The other three took their towels and retreated to the baths, keeping their eye on the girl that had been found during the raid on the facility. Fatin kept her eyes trained on her, jealousy flowing through her veins at the thought of her sleeping in his tent. Finally settling in the soothing hot water, the girls watched the stranger carefully, making a few more snide remarks in low voices.

"Just look at how pale she is! Do you think she ever was in the sun before they found her?"

"Why doesn't she cover up like the rest of us? Who does she think she is anyway?"

"Just look at that dull and lifeless hair. It has no spirit to it at all."

"I've seen her when she speaks to Kashim and Mr. Andrei, and I swear she looks them right in the eyes!" The other three girls gasped as they heard what Fatin had told them. All their lives, they had been raised to never make direct eye contact with any male, and even inside the home, they weren't supposed to with any man except their fathers or future husband. Further still, those moments would be when they were alone.

"What a harlot!"

"Yes, first she parades around without a charadi, and then she has the audacity to make direct eye contact with unfamiliar men!" Each of the four girls glared at Kaname from across the bathing area, wondering at the audacity of her actions while interacting with the opposite sex. Her jealousy still flowing through her, Fatin began calculating an idea to put the rude foreigner in her proper place. Once finished, the four girls made their way back outside, leaving Kaname alone in the large, empty bath area.

She hadn't understood anything they had said, but Kaname had a feeling that some of it may have been about her, and none of it was probably good. She wasn't one to assume the worst of others, but from the feeling she had picked up from earlier that morning when Fatin had flashed her that less than friendly look, Kaname knew better than to assume that either of them could ever hope to get along. Grabbing a towel, Kaname wrapped up her hair before taking to drying off her body, taking care to not drip water everywhere and cause an accident later on. Unfortunately she noticed that the women's showers didn't seem to have any hair dryers, so after toweling her hair as best she could, she ran a comb through her long azure locks before dressing and putting away the bathing supplies she used.

Before she had even completely come out from the bathing area, Kaname felt a hand grab her wrist, pulling her forcibly around to a shadowy corner and slamming her into the brick wall. Looking up, she realized that there were two other males there as well, and a shiver ran up her spine at the devious looks on their faces. Kaname tried to edge her way back toward the camp, her fear growing as one of the men cut her off and pulled out a small knife. She was frozen against the cold of the brick wall, not able to understand what they were saying, but the looks they wore had her fear growing fast. Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, and when one of them sounded pleased by it she tried to dash through them, only to be caught and forced back up against the wall, the rough surface scratching uncomfortably against her cheek. One of them was pressing against her now, making sure she could see the knife as his hand roamed her torso. Just as his hand moved up under the loose shirt she wore, the tears spilled over her cheeks as she tried to imagine herself somewhere else. 'Somebody…please help me!'

Just as the hand under her shirt was almost under her breasts, she heard yelling and what sounded like a brief fight before the hand under her shirt was literally ripped away. Realizing she was no longer being pressed against the rough brick wall, she lifted her arms and slowly pushed away, turning to find out what was going on.

The two that had been awaiting their turns were now sprawled haphazardly on the ground, either curled up or hunched over as if in extreme abdominal pain. They were also speaking in long whining words, and though Kaname was far from understanding them, she supposed they would be something close to describing the pain in their stomachs. The sound of struggling a short distance to the side had her gaze turned, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of Kashim literally pounding the man who had touched her into the ground. Blood leaked from his mouth and nose, and though he did attempt to fight back, it was obvious who the superior fighter was.

Catching the man's fist in a vain attempt to punch him in the face, Kashim quickly twisted it behind him until he heard a loud pop, the sound only silenced by the painful yells of the man who had dared to lay such forceful hands on their guest. A red haze had filled his mind when he had come around to the building side, the sight of her tears as the three of them had begun taking their fill of her body filling him with a rage so powerful he wasn't even completely aware of his surroundings. A small crowd was beginning to form just outside of a fifteen foot radius, and a few people looked to be placing bets, others either shouted encouragement or voiced their distaste.

He never heard any of them. The rush of blood in his ears and the haze that had settled over his mind was blocking out everything except the desire to inflict excruciating justice on the three who had dared to forget Allah's divine law. Kaname turned when she noticed that a small boy had lead over Kalinin to see what was happening, Majid following by only a few steps. Once their eyes settled on the young man beating the life out of one of her assailants, both of them moved quickly to intervene. Hearing the rushed footsteps over the wines from his victim and the pounding blood in his ears, Kashim turned and held his rifle at the ready, the anger and hatred he held for the beaten young man in his grip blazed within his cold grey irises. "If you try to stop me, I will not hesitate to shoot you down."

Putting up their hands defensively, Andre slowly took another step toward his young friend, thanking his nerves of steel for not allowing him to twitch when he saw his grip on the trigger tighten. "Please calm yourself my friend; you know we mean you no harm. Why have you attacked Afzal and his comrades?" Andre's face remained chiseled as he saw the young man's eyes grow colder at the mention of the man whose collar he still held tightly within his fist. For a brief instant, he looked to the side, and as Andre followed it, he found Kaname leaning up against the wall, wrapping herself tightly within her own arms as hot tears made their way down her cheeks in rivers.

Noticing that the attention was no longer on him at the moment, Kashim threw the young man to the ground, pinning his arms down in the dirt with his knees. Reaching behind him, he slowly drew out his kukri, making sure that Afzal was able to see it clearly before leaning over and staring him right in the eye. The young man's fear grew tenfold at the sadistic look in the young warrior's eyes, and as the sweat on his hairline grew, a disturbing smile crept onto Kashim's face as he watched him. "Which hand dared to touch her?" There was a menacing tone in his voice that Afzal had never heard before, the very sound of it chilling him to the bone. His eye twitching slightly to the right for only a fraction of a second, Afzal never even saw the movement as the kukri came down swiftly and buried itself into his palm, staining the dirt beneath it to near blackness.

Afzal laid writhing on the dirt, screaming as the pain emanating from his hand burned more fiercely than the sand at midday, and as he saw the smirk on his tormentor widen, the kukri in his hand swiveled, ripping and cutting through more of his hands tender muscles and creating a small spray of blood. "Oh ye who believe, stand out firmly for Allah, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice." Slowly removing the kukri from the mangled flesh of the boy's hand, he held it steady, letting some of the blood drip back onto its owners face. Afzal cowered under the gaze of what could only be described as the devil himself, his hand still twitching with frayed nerves as more blood seeped out with every beat of his heart. Leaning over him, one by one Kashim slowly cut off each finger, articulating his words as he dropped each of them onto his victim's chest. "Be just, that is next to piety, and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do."

~~~~~***~~~~~

Kaname's body shook with fear under the tunic Andre had put over her shoulders, covering her ears against the loud screaming of pain as Afzal's hand, the one that had touched her, now lay mangled and separated from his arm.

Still wrapped tightly within the tunic she had been given, Kaname sat curled up in a corner of Andre's tent, still too afraid to try approaching the tent she had slept in, though more for a fear of not knowing what to say to the young man who had helped her than a fear of the young man himself. She understood perfectly that Kashim had been furious because of what the others had done, but the look on his face when he had held down Afzal, and the sound of his voice when he had declared that Allah was aware of the wrong Afzal had almost committed, she almost lost sight of the young man who had been so kind to her before, and that thought alone had her scared out of her wits.

Within moments of cutting off Afzal's hand, Andre had quickly ushered her over to his tent, advising her to stay calm and remain quiet until after everything had been sorted out. After that he had left without another word, and the crowd that had been silenced when Kashim had raised his rifle was starting to rise in volume again. She could hear the occasional shout of someone she guessed was either voicing his displeasure that no one had yet to beat Kashim for his actions, or defending him by citing his swift actions to deter the misguided young men from disobeying divine law. As it was, she couldn't decipher which voices said what, and she wondered for a moment if that was really such a bad thing. She didn't think that hearing what some of the men wanted as punishment would be a very good thing to hear after witnessing someone cut off a man's hand.

The breeze had kicked up again, ruffling the tents entrance behind her. Though Andre had secured the sheet before he had left, it was the first time within the presence of the unfamiliar group that she felt even the least bit safe. Even when she had first woken up in one of the holding rooms to find Kashim huddled in a corner across the room, the look on his face had been enough to tell that they would most likely not hurt her for fun. A familiar voice yelled over a few others, recognizing it as Haidar's, and Kaname flinched at the idea of what would happen should the horrid man get his way regarding the treatment of both attacker and attacked. Kaname knew enough about history to tell that every society had at least a few naturally violent people, and that it was unfortunate that the actions of those few often dictated how the others were treated, despite being far more apt to kindness.

"Miss Chidori?" She flinched when he spoke, never even hearing when it was that he had approached the tent, let alone coming inside to address her. Her heart tightened when she heard him sigh quietly from behind her. He must have noticed her reaction to his voice. "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that in front of you. It…it's just-"

"Have they decided what's going to happen?"

"What?"

"Are…are they going to beat you again?" Her hands shook as she awaited his answer, hoping that he had taken her request to stand up for himself seriously. He coughed a moment, clearing his throat so she would be able to hear him better.

"I have stated what I saw when I came to find you to Majid. He was also told very similar stories from Afzal's comrades. All three of them will face a firing squad in the morning." Kaname couldn't describe the myriad of feelings that flooded her when she heard that, almost relieved that no other girl would have the threat of such things happening to them.

"So Majid didn't let them get away with it then?" He nodded, though she couldn't see the action. Hands still placed firmly on his thighs as he kneeled behind her, his fists clenched at the words he knew he should say, though he wanted very much to not say them at all.

"Miss Chidori, I…I'll understand if you would rather have someone else escort you to Kabul." He watched as she sat still a moment, wondering if she was seriously contemplating letting someone else take her to the city. The thought alone put a heavy weight over his heart, its unfamiliarity disturbing him as he sat like a statue behind her, unable to move from the sudden feeling. It was both a surprise and a relief when she quickly turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

The action itself shocked him more than anything else. Being raised to not have any contact with the opposite sex, he had barely bothered to look at women at all, having found that due to his place within their unit, that no man would stoop low enough to introduce his daughter. Although, since meeting the strange girl he had found inside the laboratory, he realized that within the short time he'd known her, many things seems to change quickly. There was now someone who looked at him as a friend instead of a comrade, who spoke to him without fear of what others would think, who smiled at him…

Still feeling nervous at the close contact, a deep blush settled on his cheeks as he tried to speak without stammering. "Uh, I…M-Miss Chidori…?" His face only darkened when he felt her arms tighten around his shoulders, his heart pounding so fast and loud he was sure she was aware of it. Just as he thought he would go into shock with the myriad of feelings a single hug caused, he barely heard her whisper above the rushing of blood in his ears.

"I know this goes against what you believe. I'm sorry for putting you in this situation, but I'm just so relieved," he voice trembled as a few tears escaped from under her thick lashes.

"Miss Chidori?"

"I was so afraid they'd beat you again! I was so sure someone would try, it scared me half to death!" Her tears came down faster, wetting his shirts material on his shoulder. He was still blushing, and frozen in amazement that she would worry about someone she'd barley met the day before. She still hung onto him, though thankfully she wasn't shaking too badly, and after contemplating things a moment, he shifted his weight carefully and slowly lifted his arms from his sides. Moving carefully, he almost had them around her when the tents curtain opened, letting Andre enter his tent and alerting a now frantic young man that he and Kaname were no longer alone.

"Sorry to have interrupted you two, but this is my tent…" he smirked as his young friend practically radiated panic and dread at being caught in such a compromising position.

"Yes sir! I-I mean no sir! I mean, I-I didn't...uh…no wait, I …uh…" A light chuckle came from the older man, both confusing and relaxing the young man still wrapped in Kaname's arms as she cried out the last of her worries onto his shoulder. When she finally sat back up and wiped at her eyes, Kashim turned a nervous glance to the older man still standing at the entrance to his tent.

"Don't worry my friend, I won't say anything. But please consider moving to your own tent for the night." Still blushing quite brightly, Kashim now wore a defeated look, grateful that Andre would refrain from spreading any rumors, though wondering if he should worry about whether or not the older man would find it amusing to use the occurrence against him in jest later on.

"Y-yes sir…" Shaking himself free of the flood of new emotions he had been experiencing as of late, he stood and reached out a hand to help Kaname up. "Go ahead of me and head back to the tent. I need to see to something first."

"Alright, would you mind bringing dinner?" She had wiped away the tears that once stained her still pink face, but now as she smiled hopefully at him, he felt relieved that he had been the one to help stop her tears.

"Of course. I won't be long." Watching her as she slipped through the curtain, his gaze hardened at what he knew he had to do. He had purposely left out that it had been overheard rumors that had spurned on the lustful youths, and felt his anger rise once more when the memory of what they had said resurfaced. Slipping out of the tent, he stuck to the darkening shadows, grateful that the sun had already begun its decent a while ago.

Barely disturbing anything in his surroundings, he crept over toward the wash basins that had been set up on one of the far corners of the facility when they had all arrived. It didn't take long to locate his target, and he blessed his own fortune when he discovered that the shadows fell over the area in a most advantageous way. Thankfully, his target was alone, so confident in her victory she didn't even have a friend with her to act as a lookout. Slinking up behind her, she gasped when his hand came up to cover her mouth, almost struggling before she felt the cold sting of his favorite knife lightly pressed against her throat. "You disappoint me Fatin. I thought you an honorable woman once, now I see I was mistaken."

She didn't struggle in his hold, and it only confused him further that she had relaxed after finding that it was him. Intrigued by her actions, he adjusted the angle on his knife slightly, more than a little puzzled when her breath quickened at his movement, yet calmed as soon as he stopped. "I will give you one chance to speak Fatin, but should you attempt to continue lying about your innocence, you will feel the teeth of my blade in your throat. Am I understood?"

Letting go of her mouth once she had nodded, he waited for her to turn and face him, wanting to hear why she would dare to purposely spread rumors about someone she didn't even know. Instead, she twisted and lifted her charadi before crushing her lips onto his, his eyes going wide at her shocking display of brazenness. Pushing hard at her shoulders, she fell back near the small pile of laundry she had been washing, watching him as he wiped at his mouth as few times in disgust. "I want you Kashim, for myself. You are one of the strongest men I have ever seen. None of the others can see it as well as I can. I know how strong you are, even if you hide it from the others, and I want you for myself."

He watched her carefully from her place near the clothes, swaying her shoulders as she sat up to get closer to him, her hands beginning to trail up and down his legs in a gesture he guessed she thought would arouse and intrigue him. The action was as useless as if he was made of stone. He didn't move, didn't respond at all, in fact he was beginning to think he'd need a hot bath and to wash his clothes until the threads barely held together anymore. Moving his legs to fling her back to the ground, he looked at her with open hatred, angered even further when she still didn't appear to comprehend her fragile situation. "If you come near me, or Miss Chidori, I will kill you."

She looked up at him, her expression telling him clearly that she still didn't understand her situation. How could he not want her? Every other young man did, and Haidar had not found any of them worthy enough for her, so why not the strongest? What was it about her that made that foreign harlot so much more desirable? "You would not hurt me Kashim. You fear my Father's retribution. He would sooner kill you as look at you."

Leaning down glare right into her large black eyes, he kept his voice low as the edge of his knife caressed its way across her neck. "I never knew such a beautiful woman could be so truly hideous." He applied only a minimal amount of pressure as the blade continued its journey across her throat, her hiss bringing a sadistic smirk to his face. "If you do not believe the truth in my words Fatin, I would be more than happy to oblige you." The knife ended its slow trail over her throat, a thin line of blood seeping to the surface, and in an instant he was just gone, the only proof of his visitation being the short and swift breeze that carried his scent.


	5. First of a Thousand Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While gathering supplies before the journey to Kabul, another evil finds its way to the facility

It was cold, and the air was thick with the smell of engine fuels, smoke and ice. Even further, the faint scents of blood and death seemed to permeate everything. He was surrounded by it, held captive within the frozen deathtrap of what used to be an airplane, tightly cradled in a comforting embrace. Then, he felt himself lifted upward, taken higher toward the bright glow of the sun, where a pair of large hands took hold of him, continuing his journey upward and distancing him from the freezing wreckage below. He watched as she fell away from him, powerless to do anything but cry and reach for her as she plummeted farther out of reach. Just before she disappeared forever, engulfed by the darkness of the icy chasm, her final words echoed in his ears. 'Live, fight…'

'Sousuke…'

His eyes shot open as he gasped for air, the faint scents of the smoke and death seemed to cling to him as he jolted awake, his heart thundering powerfully in his chest. Sitting up, he wiped the sweat from his brow as he attempted to get his breathing under control. Glancing across the tent to make sure he hadn't woken Kaname, he carefully stood and walked outside into the cool pre-dawn air, the slight chill helping to dry the last of the sweat from his face and neck. He'd had that nightmare again; the one where no matter what he told himself or his body, he was still powerless to help the woman who always called to him. He could never remember her face, but the sight of her as she fell into the icy blackness never failed to instill a sense of fear and helplessness in him.

Glancing about the encampment, it seemed as though the night watch were still the only ones awake. Running a hand through his long hair, he wandered back inside the tent to grab some essentials. Once prepared, he made his way over to the men's baths; the allure of the relaxing feel of hot water on his tense muscles was too strong this early in the day. Thankfully, the hot water and the refreshing feel thereafter was enough for him to feel awake for the day, and before long he was headed back toward his tent to wake Kaname and begin final preparations for their journey to the city of Kabul.

Quietly kneeling next to the young woman under his care, he reached to wake her when she rolled onto her back, still deep asleep. He paused, the blanket had lowered when she had moved, and her shirt had crept up her torso during the night, revealing the soft skin between her ribs and hips clearly for him. Her body moved softly with her slow, steady breathing, the taut muscles of her abdomen rising slightly with every breath. Blushing fiercely and yet still mesmerized by the sight, it took all his self control to not allow his hand to drift down and find out if her skin was as soft as it looked. Instead, he did what he considered right, and though his face was still a rather impressive shade of crimson, he gently lowered her shirt before lifting the blanket back up to her neck. It only served to work against him though, when he let his eyes rest on the smooth skin of her neck, it only lead his gaze up to view the angelic vision of her sleeping face.

She really was quite lovely, from her lightly tanned skin to the thick charcoal lashes that lay softly on her cheeks, she had the resemblance of an angel when she slept, and he felt privileged to be able to witness the sight for a while longer. Her endless azure locks surrounded her delicate frame, running down from her head in long rivers before disappearing beneath the blanket. His focus then landed on her lips again, just the same as it had the first time he saw her, trapped beneath the thick glass in one of the numerous laboratories. Such a soft pink color against the light skin of her face, it took every ounce of his resolve to resist finding out if they truly were as soft as they seemed.

Coming back to his senses, he forced himself to lean back and head back outside to find a suitable distraction. She would wake up soon enough once the sun had risen, for now though, he decided to try and calm his overly sensitive nerves. Running a hand through his long hair, he contemplated at the amazing turn of events that had happened since Kaname Chidori had awoken with a scream and pelted him in the face with a shoe. He'd never acted this way before in his life, so determined to help a stranger, to defend someone's honor, all for the sake of keeping that wonderful smile on her face, and knowing that he had been the one to do it. Not to mention his reactions as well, everything was very confusing to him.

For some reason, she made him feel emotions he used to have in careful control, to near extreme levels. At least for him they were extreme, but still, even though he had lived with some beautiful women in their unit, none of them had ever made him feel this way before. Fatin had been no different either. She had always been noticed for her strong black eyes and black-red hair, and there wasn't a single young man in their unit that wouldn't have considered himself the luckiest in the world to have her look their way. Though, after discovering how defiled her soul was with jealousy at his attention to Kaname, she was no more attractive to him than a scorpion that had crawled its way out of the blazing sand. Even now the memory of what she had said, what she had done, it all left a sour taste in his mouth, and he cringed at the ghostly feelings of her hands running along his legs in her vain attempt to arouse him. The thought had him feeling filthy and nauseous, despite his recent bath, and he decided to go for a short walk to clear his mind until Kaname woke up.

~~~~~***~~~~~

Kaname woke slowly, the bright light of the sun brightening the tent and easing her from a restful slumber. Stretching as she sat up, she mentally reminded herself that she would need to ask Kashim to help her locate additional clothes for the trip. Finding him gone, she set to work brushing the tangles from her long hair, the strands glowing under the light of the filtered morning sun. She would have to relish the next time she was in the baths, since there would enough for the two of them to carry as it was, it would be reckless and stupid to attempt taking along enough water for them to bathe; not to mention nearly impossible with just the two of them.

Her mind drifting back to her missing companion, Kaname assumed he must have gone to join an early patrol or something. Exiting the tent, Kaname smiled as she stretched in the warm sunlight, a light morning breeze carrying the still cool air of the previous night with it before the sun would later burn it out. Just as she was about to go and locate something to eat, Kaname jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Miss Chidori, my apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Mr. Kalinin, I-I'm sorry. I guess I'm a little jumpy is all."

"Quite understandable considering the circumstances. Might you know where Kashim is?"

"I'm not sure. He left before I woke up, so I thought he went on patrol or something."

"No, he hasn't reported for the early patrol this morning." Andre watched her expression carefully, noticing that her face seem to fall slightly at the realization that the young man was not nearby. It was interesting that the both of them could bond so quickly, especially with the past history the young warrior had, but considering the circumstances, it wasn't really at all surprising. 'Two young outsiders who only have each other to turn to,' he thought with a suppressed chuckle. 'Sounds almost like a movie if you think about it…'

"Oh, I wonder where he's gone then."

Coming back to himself, Andre asked Kaname to relay that Kashim was needed in Majid's tent as soon as he was able. "Sure, I'll let him know when I see him."

"Thank you Miss Chidori. Have a pleasant morning."

"You too sir," she replied as the older man nodded kindly and turned to return to his own affairs. A little lost as to what she could do by herself, Kaname strolled along the high chain link fence that surrounded the edge of the facility, occasionally running her hand along the rough metal. Remembering that in another day she could be heading toward those who could help her get home, Kaname almost felt giddy. It would be nice to be back in her little apartment in Tokyo, hopefully go back to school, see her friends and be able to go shopping like a normal girl again. The only real thing that kept her vision of returning home from being complete was that she knew that she would be alone again. She wouldn't have Kashim with her in Tokyo, or even if her Father decided to bring her back to live with him in New York. It saddened her to think that she might never see him again, but at the same time, she also understood perfectly why.

He was a fighter for the freedom and rights of the people in this country. How could she honestly ask him to come with her and start a new life knowing that he would be practically abandoning those he was supposed to be protecting? Still, Kaname decided that she wouldn't be upset when the time came for them to part, because no matter what happened, she would never forget the kindness he had shown to her, a total stranger with no way of paying him back except her undying gratitude and respect. So lost in her thoughts, Kaname never heard her name being yelled until it was almost right next to her. Jogging over from the main building, Kashim called to her to get her attention. "Miss Chidori."

"Oh, sorry I was a little spacey just then."

"It's alright. Please, come with me quickly."Gently taking hold of her wrist he led her toward one of the nearby buildings. Confused as to why he would show up suddenly and want to take her somewhere, Kaname tried to tug back at her wrist to get his attention.

"Wait, Kashim, is there something wrong? What's going on?" Slowing his pace, he released her wrist as he turned to speak to her in a hushed voice. His expression more focused, and with a hint of worry she noticed, she leaned in to hear him.

"Very soon, Afzal and his friends are going to be executed for what they tried to do to you." Kaname's eyes went wide. Of course they were going to kill them, she had been told yesterday, but for some reason she had completely blocked it from her mind. For a second she could swear she saw anger and frustration flashing in his deep grey eyes, and she had to wonder if maybe he was just upset that he wouldn't be given the opportunity to make sure they were dead himself. "I, I didn't think you would want to see that, so…so I though you would like to help me gather what we would need for our trip to the city."

Feeling both relieved and thankful at his constant consideration for her, she smiled and took his hand, noticing with a blush of her own that his face instantly turned crimson with the action. Kaname had no idea why she had done something so bold, especially since such displays were anything but ordinary in either society, but as she watched his confused and embarrassed expression, she couldn't find it in her to care. Leave protocol to those with all the time in the world, she only had so much time left with her new and invaluable friend, and she was going to make the most of things before they separated. "Let's go then. I'd like to see what kind of real food they had hidden away here so we can choose something more edible than the gruel they made me eat before."

Even with the ever growing heat from the sun rising higher in the sky, his face was far warmer than it needed to be that time of day. Her smile never failed to do strange things to him, and as he struggled to gain control of the flip-flopping in his stomach, he gulped and ran a quick hand through his long hair. "Uh, yes of course. There should be a decent selection considering this facility was supposed to be self-sufficient for many months between deliveries." Her smile only widened, and he felt shivers run up his spine when he heard her sigh in contentment when they entered the air conditioned building.

Taking her down at least five floors into the storage areas, Kaname couldn't believe that she had been kept in such a large place for an entire year. She had only ever really seen the hallways between her room and the laboratory, and the few times they had let her walk around outside she had only seen the four buildings that were situated inside the high security gates' wide perimeter. "How did you memorize this so quickly? I would have been lost a long time ago."

"Its just practice. Since the majority of the time we have to navigate using either landmarks or other natural surroundings, you learn to look for signs to remember your way." Coming to a large set of heavy metal doors, he released her hand and pushed them open, needing to use nearly all of his body weight to do so as he fought against the thick metal slabs. Taking a moment to catch his breath after having to exert so much energy just getting the sliding metal doors open, they continued onward into the surprisingly huge storage area. About halfway down the main isle, he turned as he heard Kaname start giggling softly. "Something wrong Miss Chidori?"

"No, I was just thinking that this place kind of looks like the warehouse in those old Indiana Jones movies. I half expected to have someone put their hand over my mouth and ask you where the Ark of the Covenant was hidden!" Still laughing at the thought, she only laughed harder when she caught his look of complete confusion. The idea that he may have never seen a movie in his life was a sad thought to her, but considering the kind of life he had been living so far, not seeing a movie would be the least important thing on his list of need-to-dos.

He still didn't understand what it was she found so amusing, but the look of absolute happiness on her face more than made up for it. Her silvery laugh drifting over the relative silence of the expansive storage area washed over him, and right away he felt his shoulder muscles relax at the beautiful sound. Though he tried to hide it, a small smirk made its way through his defenses and rose to his face as he watched her enjoy herself. She was just so different from anyone he'd ever met before, and though it was obvious she had been living a safe and sheltered life before, to be able to laugh the way she did just twenty-four hours after almost being raped, to do so would take a strength of nearly monolithic proportions to accomplish that.

Finally coming down from her laughter, she apologized for slowing them down. "Think nothing of it Miss Chidori. Shall we continue?"Gathering all his courage, he carefully offered his hand to her, having wished to enjoy the feeling of holding hers once more if she allowed it. It had been a surprisingly comforting thing to hold her hand, having never done so to anyone after taking the large hand of the Russian official who had eventually taken him to the KGB orphanage and training center. He had barely had any human contact since then, not out of any fears, but it was better to keep your distance from others, especially if you weren't sure if they would be pulling a knife on you sometime in the future.

The smile still present on her face, Kaname wiped away some of the wetness under her eye from laughing so hard before softly taking his offered hand. Continuing on their way toward the food storage section, Kaname watched as Kashim once again had to struggle to push open the large steel slab they had been using as their door, each push accented with a light grunt, proving just how much force he had to exert in opening the large door. "Honestly, it's hard for me to believe that these things aren't automated. With how heavy they look, it would be so much of a hassle to get a snack, by the time the door was open it wouldn't be worth it anymore."

Finally having pried the heavy door open, he leaned up against it for a moment, steadying his breath. "It's possible that the circuit breakers for the lower level entry doors could have been tripped or damaged. The raid we performed on this facility was anything but gentle, and I wouldn't be surprised if a stray bullet managed to hit something located on the surface."

"You really think they would keep the electronics to operate this stuff all the way up there? That sounds inconvenient to me."

"In most instances it would be, though you have to remember, normally there would have been people constantly monitoring all of this to make sure it kept functioning properly. We don't have nearly that many people, so it's as if this place was running on a skeleton crew." He heard her make a soft sound of acknowledgment as they entered the large room, flipping the light switch as soon as it was located.

Set up similarly to warehouse styled grocery stores, isles upon isles were lined up all over the room, and all of them were organized by both container and food type. Along the back wall were five large cooler doors, each of them set to the specifics of the food items they contained, including dairy, beef, poultry, and fish. It came as no surprise that there was an exceptionally impressive rice storage on one side of the room. Rice was one of the primary exports of Afghanistan, so it only made sense that the facility would locate a means to acquire it straight from the source rather than go through the trouble of having it shipped in with the other supplies. On the far right side of the room was another area separated by long plastic flaps, and Kashim guess it must have also had separate lighting since the area beyond had remained dark after he had flipped the switch. Mostly sticking to the canned and snack foods, the two spread out to gather whatever they would want to eat for the long trip.

As he wandered through the vast array of isles, Kashim thought carefully about what they might be able to bring with them. He had run into Majid before going to locate Miss Chidori, and he had been told that they would be taking one of the facilities jeeps as their beginning transportation. It had been a wonderful suggestion really, and he had accepted, though he had to wonder how long the vehicle would be able to last given the rough terrain of the Hindukush Mountain range. Considering the area they had to cross, eventually the valley would rise, and the air would get significantly colder. As it was, it would be impossible trying to make it to Kabul within the allotted time frame if they stuck to the valleys. They were going to have to follow the tops of the mountains for a while, maybe close to five or six days before descending back into the overwhelming heat in the valleys below. It wouldn't be nearly as hot as the sandy desert plains in the south of the country, but the drastic change in climate could cause anyone to become disoriented if not careful.

Glancing around the expansive storage area, he started to worry when he was unable to locate Kaname. "Miss Chidori?" Quickening his stride, he searched down the long isles of food. His worry only increased when he had searched the whole room and had come up empty. His nerves now on edge at the prospect that any of Afzal's comrades would want revenge for his death, Kashim yanked open the first of the coolers before searching it from one corner to the other. Nearly slamming the coolers large door after coming up empty, his eyes scanned the empty room as thoughts of what could have happened to her flooded his mind, his paranoia only growing with the darkening thoughts swimming through his mind. "Miss Chidori! Chidori please answer me!"

"Huh?"

"Chidori? Where are you?"

"Over here." His head snapped in the direction on the darkened room beyond the long plastic flaps that kept it separated from the rest of the storage area. Still unsure if someone could have forced her to go back there, he approached carefully, his ears straining to hear past the hum of the refrigeration units and the quiet electric buzz of the fluorescent lights above. Hearing nothing out of place, he peaked around the corner, noting that the room beyond the plastic flaps was quite large in itself, and that the only lights operating at the moment were inside the long fish farming tanks that ran along the length of the room. A large circular tank was set up in the opposite corner, and from his position he could see her silhouetted against the glow of the water.

Slipping between the long flaps, he performed a cursory glance of the room as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Feeling more relaxed now that she had been found alone and unharmed, he ran a nervous hand through his long hair as he walked back to her. "Please don't wander off like that Miss Chidori, Afzal's comrades might seek revenge for what happened and-"

"Huh? Sorry, I was in my own little world a minute. What's up?" She turned and smiled brightly at him from atop the step near the large glowing tank, the electric blue glow from behind her illuminating her pale skin and making her azure hair dance under the light. His words dried up in his throat the moment his eyes settled on the sight, her still smiling face combined with the glow of the cerulean atmosphere made her almost look like an incarnation of Djullanar, the girl who lived in the sea. His silence must have stretched on too long, her face fell slightly, and her head tilted to the side with a curios expression. "Kashim? Is something wrong?"

"Ah, n-no I, uh…" She smiled at his nervous stammering, a light giggle coming through.

"You're weird, you know that?" He stared at her a moment, his mind racing as what she said had sounded like it should have been an insult, but the way she had said it, it was almost as if she had been reciting a term of endearment. "Anyway," she continued. "Sorry I made you worry; I just wondered what was back here and got distracted watching all the fish."

Still somewhat amazed at the acrobatics she never failed to make his insides perform; he hid it behind a calm expression as he came up to stand on the step next to her. "It's not a problem Miss Chidori. Though it has served me well in the past, I suppose at times I can be a little over paranoid."

"Still, I should have said something. The men who attacked me yesterday may still have friends wanting to hurt me in return for being the catalyst for their deaths." Turning to look at her as she stared through the thick polyurethane to the swimming creatures beyond, her face and voice had grown solemn at the prospect that she now had to face the possibility of people who wanted revenge against her. It was bad enough that the guilt from knowing that she had almost been raped due to Fatin's jealousy over his attention to her had only increased after she had cried on his shoulder the night before. And to make things worse, she hadn't been crying from fear, or even the situation itself. She had cried over the thought that he would have been beaten for protecting her so violently. Even if he had only known her for two days, the feelings that surfaced when he was in her presence were so strong that they almost completely blocked out everything he had ever learned about religious rules or society norms. Quickly taking hold of the hand that hung loosely at her side, he held it tightly within both of his as he made sure she looked him in the eye. "Kashim?"

"I promise you, as long as I have any power in me, I won't let anyone hurt you again." Her large brown eyes stared into his deep grey irises, reflecting the raging storms they held and rendering her absolutely speechless as she lost herself in them. The glow from the lights in the large farming tank right next to them bathed the two in a blue light, each struck silent at how the other seemed to resemble some ethereal being emerging from the darkness.

Nothing else was registered except the feel of her hand in his, and the intense gaze their eyes held. Kaname couldn't have said when it was that her other hand had left the cool side of the tank and settled lightly over his, she was busy drowning in pools of molten steel to notice. Their faces drifted closer, both unaware of the slow actions, contributing it to the feeling of falling into the others eyes instead of admitting what it truly was. Slowly they came closer, close enough that both could feel the heat from the others breath on their lips, the nerves tingling in anticipation. When they were within an inch from reaching their goal, the spell of intimacy was broken.

Both stopped cold as a series of tremors radiated from above, the vibrations shaking loose some of the heavy dust that had collected on some of the pipes near the ceiling.

"An, an earthquake?" Kashim shook his head slowly, placing a hand on the side of the tank in an attempt to feel the tremors more accurately.

"No. Something feels wrong. If it was the start of an earthquake it would have only built in volume. We should make our way out of here." Still holding her hand as they made their way toward the entrance to the storage area, he was grateful that they had gone through the food storage with a few backpacks he had found near the back of the first storage area. Hurriedly loading the bags onto their backs, Kashim took up his rifle and made sure he had remembered to bring a full magazine just in case. Silently as possible, the two made their way up the five flights of service stairs, and once reaching the exit door to the building's courtyard, they flattened up against the wall as he carefully opened the door to peak through.

Soldiers, women, and children ran wildly as an unknown opposition opened fire on them. Men in strange uniforms were attacking any and all they came in contact with, and when one of them caught up with a young boy and began raising his knife, Kashim had had enough. Still leaving the door mostly closed, he took quick aim and fired a straight shot through the man's skull, dropping him to the ground like an old rag doll. Seeing the boy run away, he turned back to Kaname. "Miss Chidori, how fast can you run?"

"Um, well I used to be on the track team at school, but they never gave me much exercise after bringing me here." A grimace passed over his face as he considered the possibilities. She still looked to be in exceptional health, though her stamina had more than likely dropped since given no chance to exercise while being held captive. Still, adrenaline could make people perform amazing tasks, and with their situation, he would have to gamble on it if they were going to make a somewhat clean getaway. "Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful."

"It's not your fault Miss Chidori. The second I open this door we'll be under fire. I'm going to need you to stick as close to me as possible."

"What are we going to do?"

"We need to see if we can locate Kalinin. Majid had one of the jeeps prepped for us to use, and with that, we can get away and hopefully make better time on our way to Kabul. Kalinin has the key with him, so all we have to do is find him and he'll tell us which one of the jeeps to use." She had looked worried before, most likely when he had opened the door and she had heard the blaring of all of the guns firing, though as he watched her expression change from frightened to determined, he was again beyond amazed at how strong she could be.

"I'll do my best to keep up then. You have enough to worry about with all of these other people running around." A smirk crossed his face as they readjusted the full backpacks on their shoulders. Taking better hold of his rifle, she nodded to him, letting him know she was ready.

"Alright then. Let's go!"

~~~~~***~~~~~

The air was still within the cockpit of the large armslave, echoes of the sounds of battle radiating from the internal speakers as well as faintly from the world beyond. He watched carefully as the team of savages he had lead to the facility fought against the scrambling Mujahideen, each fighter giving it everything they had to make sure no ground was lost against the small team that had descended from out of the desert sky. It amused him to see so much destruction and death, in short, the very essence of chaos. A beep sounded from one of the monitors to his side, the cameras automatically zooming in and focusing on a short wall being used as a shield for the four behind it. Three of them had rifles and all manner of ammunition, the last one just seemed to sit there and cower as the area around them erupted in glorious warfare.

Getting a better look at the group, he recognized the one not fighting as Kaname Chidori, the girl he had been paid wonderfully to locate and deliver to the organization that used to occupy the facility. Troubled that things would end so quickly without being given much chance to have fun amongst the multitudes of blood being spilt, he moved to prepare securing his target. Bored already at the prospect of such an easy catch, he stopped as the young man beyond the camera next to her turned to reload his rifle, a clear shot at his face and the scar gracing his left cheek. A chilling smile spread wide across his face, a distortion of an already twisted expression of joy as a single name dripped like venom from his lips.

"Kashim…"


	6. Devil in the Dust

Chapter 6 – Devil in the Dust

Bullets whizzed by the short wall, taking small chunks of concrete and dust along for the ride with each impact. Kaname winced as part of the wall near her head seemed to explode seconds after shifting to another position, the small bits falling into her hair as she sat in the hot dirt. Next to her Kashim eyes blazed with open hatred for the enemies that had appeared out of nowhere, only to begin slaughtering those who had given him some semblance of a home. Reloading his magazine, he dove to the side of the wall and managed to take out three of the opposing soldiers on foot. Unfortunately he couldn't do a thing about the four AS's that were wreaking havoc around the facility grounds, he had to make sure Kaname was safe, and he couldn't do that if he just up and left her to board one of the armslaves Kalinin had mentioned in the nearest hangar.

At the moment though, his saving grace was that the other two taking refuge behind the low wall, Badr and his younger brother Imad, were among those few who didn't care what kind of past someone had. All that had ever mattered to them was what side you fought for, and since Kashim had given his very youth to a cause not concerning himself, they had not found any fault with him. Sure they weren't the most amicable to interact with, but it was obvious that they appreciated any help they could get. Still, Kashim wasn't about to leave Kaname to fend for herself anytime soon.

The loud echoes of the gas turbine engines seemed to come from everywhere, and the only warning that they were near was the booming of their heavy footsteps on the hard ground. Kaname squeaked when she swore she had felt something whiz by her shoulder, the sudden sound and her full body twitch alerting her companion that something could be wrong. "Chidori! Are you alright? Are you injured?"

"N-no! I'm fine! Just concentrate and let me know when we move!"

"Roger that!" Turning back behind the wall, he switched his speech to the Farsi the others were familiar with and yelled a quick 'reloading', announcing that he would need momentary support until the next magazine had been forced into place. With both eyes and hands he searched for a spare magazine, becoming slightly panicked when he couldn't find one as quickly as he would have liked. A hand suddenly came into view, and before it registered that it was offering two spare magazines, he raised the rifle and clicked the trigger in Andrei's face. Finally seeing the whole picture, he reached out and took the offering. "Apologies sir!"

"I have the devil's luck with you it seems. I always manage to find myself looking down the barrel of your gun these days; I hope that does not become habit." Making his way over to the edge of the wall, he pulled out his own firearms and joined in their retaliation. "How are you faring Miss Chidori?"

"Uh, I-AH! I'm fine!" Andrei was amazing she was holding up so well. She had been thrust into a world she knew nothing about, but had been strong enough to take the hardships as they came; adjusting far quicker than anyone else he had ever known. Sure she was scared, but so was everyone else whenever the fighting broke out. "Mr. Kalinin!"

"Yes Chidori?"

"Do you still have the key we need? Maybe I can get it and we can make a quick getaway or something?" Like his young friend, Andrei was surprised at her bravery in unfamiliar situations. Before he was able to answer however, Kashim beat him to the punch.

"No Chidori! I won't have you doing anything so reckless when we're not sure if you can still move as fast as you said!"

"But I-"

"We can't! With the enemy using armslaves it would only be a matter of minutes until they caught up with us!"

"But we can't just sit here! You're not Solid Snake! You don't have a bandanna of infinite ammunition! If we run out we're gonna be sitting ducks!"

"I'm not who?"

"Never mind! Either way we can't sit here forever!" Andrei chuckled silently as the two argued amidst the flying bullets.

"She has a point my friend! We need a plan of action! Our ammunition won't last forever!" It was almost amusing to hear the frustrated growl that bubbled up from his throat.

"I know that! But I won't leave Chidori to sit here and wait to die!"

"Should I shoot then? I can't guarantee I'll hit anything but-"

"Absolutely not! I will not-!"

"Incoming!" His instincts moving him, he reached over and all but tackled Kaname to the ground, covering his head with his arms as his torso pressed down on her neck. She was about to protest the rough treatment, when somewhere on the other side of the wall a grenade went off, the ground shaking violently beneath them as the explosion rattled the low wall, kicking up voluminous clouds of dust and scattering small rocks as a new crater was added to the earth's surface. Andrei had already started firing when Kashim moved off of Kaname, her ears slightly ringing and a headache brewing from the sudden blast.

"Chidori! Are you alright?" The large clouds of dust blew through, leaving her throat dry and coughing at the sudden intake of foreign substances in the air.

"I-*cough*- I'm fi-*cough*- fine!" Things weren't looking very good. If they didn't come up with a plan soon, they would have no choice but to surrender, and at that point, everyone would be killed, and Kaname would be shut back into the metal pod they found her in. Determined to not let her be forced back into that again, Kashim's mind ran a million miles a minute, trying to think of any way they could turn the tide on their grim situation. Just as he was coming to the conclusion that running and hoping for the best would be the more favorable option, Andrei spoke up.

"I'll watch over Miss Chidori. The building just south of our position houses advanced AS units; if you can get one of them we may stand a chance." 'Of course!' he thought. 'He and Majid had mentioned that there was a few amazingly advanced AS's being housed here! Now the problem is getting to them…'

"I'll cover you, but remember, we have no idea of these AS's capabilities, so act with caution." Nodding quickly, Kashim took hold of his rifle and shoved the last magazine into place. Kaname met his gaze for only an instant, and with a determined smirk, he bolted across the open expanse of the yard, firing in any and all directions as more bullets rained down around him. When she finally lost sight of him around the edge of one of the buildings, Kaname returned to crouching as close to the wall as possible, trying to avoid any of the larger chips of concrete as the fell away from the top from the multiple bullet impact. Waiting until Andrei had finished firing for a moment, Kaname yelled to him over the ruckus of the gunfire.

"Are you sure he'll be alright?"

"I am certain Miss Chidori. For as young as he is, he's an excellent AS pilot. He practically grew up inside the RK92 cockpit, and I've yet to meet another with skills of his caliber." Turning back to resume firing, Andrei continued to be impressed by the fortitude the young woman next to him exuded. Any other female might have broken out in frantic tears long ago, and while it was obvious she wanted to, she strongly held them back. She was one of the rare women that would hold her tears and fear for after their safety was assured.

Kaname huddled down as far as she could go, both trying to stay out of the way, as well as make Kalinin's job easier as he both guarded and protected her from the present dangers. Hearing a booming series of explosions, she looked up at Andrei as he turned back to hide behind the relative safety of the concrete wall. As they fell silent and the billowing dust began to clear, a voice rang out from his AS speakers, a fearful chill running up Kaname's spine as the words echoed in the small valley. "Kon'nichiwa Kaname chan…"

"…I…I know this voice…"

"What? Don't remember me? But we had such a nice chat in front of your school that day…" Kaname's eyes widened as the memory of her last day of a normal life had come to an abrupt end. She had gotten up and prepared for school like usual, packed up the left-overs from the night before so she and Kyoko could share at lunch, and enjoyed a calm ride on the train. The cherry blossoms had been falling in the cool morning breeze, and when she had reached the school's front gate…

"…you!"

"It's been so long, how's your little friend Tokiwa been doing?" With his every word Kaname felt the rage building inside her, bubbling up from deep within her belly. He had been the one to take her away from her life, ripping her away from everything she knew and loved just so that those scientist freaks could satisfy god only knew what sick curiosity! The hands she had pressed against her head to protect it from the falling debris now gripped harshly at her hair, and she was biting her cheek so hard the taste of copper began to come through. At the same time, something began to pull at her mind, she couldn't say what, but she had felt it many times before since waking up in this horrid facility, and as she fought it back, her breath became labored. Her anger and hatred reaching unbelievable levels, she twitched when the devil's voice once again came through the loud speakers. "Don't feel much like talking eh? How about your new friends then? Any of them feel like talking?"

Noticing that she wasn't alone, yet the one he really wanted was conspicuously absent, he zoomed his camera to the older man next to her. When it finished focusing, a building laugh came through before he excitedly addressed the man sitting next to Kaname in the dirt, the AS mimicking its operators movements and throwing its head back in laughter. "Kalinin you son of a bitch! Still alive and kicking are you? You know your old friends still have that price on your head, could be a lot of money if I bring you in alive…"

"That would be quite the accomplishment if you were able to do so Gauron."

"Believe me I would love nothing more than a nice fat bonus, but I'm afraid I didn't come all this way just to chat with you. Sorry to disappoint, but Kaname chan and I have a date with some old friends, and I would hate to be late for the party."

"Do your worst Gauron. Neither of us will go quietly."

"Yeah! Screw you asshole! It's easy to talk all kinds of big from behind that huge gun of yours! Come down here and let's see what happens!" While Andrei did admire her bravery in the face of obstacles that would have left more seasoned men cowering in fear, he had to wonder momentarily if she was still sane. Armslave or not, Gauron was an extremely dangerous man, and calling him out the way she had could cause serious repercussions. Thankfully though, and he couldn't even believe he was thankful for it at all, Gauron simply laughed off her threat, the AS leaning over and taking on an imposing stance.

"And what will happen if I take you up on that Kaname chan?" Even from outside the mech, somehow it seemed to radiate with a menacing promise if she dared to respond. Doing everything possible to remain still, Kaname simply sat and stared back at the maniac behind the machinery. His staring match with the young woman ended when several beeps from his consol alerted him to incoming fire from his eight o'clock. Raising a lambda driver field just in time, the shell of the 157mm shell exploded as it connected, the field itself repelling the attack effortlessly. The wind blowing the smoke and dust away from the explosion, Gauron smiled widely as his external cameras saw a silver Chodarl pointing its boxer shot cannon at him, smoke still trailing from the heated barrel.

"Get away from them Gauron. I'm your only opponent!"

"I've missed you Kashim. How long has it been? Six months? Or was it seven since I last saw you?"

"Just shut the hell up and die!" Lunging forward, he fired off a few more shots with the boxer cannon before bringing up a monomolecular cutter, hoping to slash through the opposing AS's blazing red arm. Right before impact, a bright light appeared and halted his movement, the large knife seeming to stop in mid-air by some unseen force. "What the-"

"Gotcha!" The light blasted back at the silver AS, sending it flying across the facility yard and landing harshly onto one of the surface buildings. It was only by the skin of his teeth that his fall had landed just short of the collection of tents on that side of the yard. The impact from both the bright light and the landing had forced Kashim to hit his head twice, the first time against the edge of one of the monitors and resulting in a semi-deep cut along the outside arch of his brow, and the second bounced his head against the back of the pilot's chair. The chair in the cockpits weren't overly hard or uncomfortable, but pilots wore helmets while operating them for just such occasions. Having had to move quickly, Kashim did not bother with grabbing one of the specified helmets, sacrificing assured safety for speed. His favored opponent going silent, Gauron pouted a moment, a disturbing yet playful frown present on his face. "Aww, Kashim fell down and went boom! Don't tell me that this is the best you can do?"

Kashim coughed as air rushed to fill his lungs, his head still spinning from the double impact within his cockpit. 'What the hell…was that?' Slowly, he sat the mech back up before demanding a damage report from the internal systems. The AI sprang to life and displayed the structure with surprisingly little to no damage at all, from either the attack or the impact of falling. In short, even with being repelled back with such brute force, only the paint was a little scuffed. 'What? Hardly any damage after, after…just what the hell happened?'

"Are you confused little Kashim? Feeling a little left out with not being able to understand what it is your using?" Kashim growled at the picture of the red AS displayed on his monitor, the knowledge that Gauron found any joy in this making him both furious and sick to his stomach. "You and your friends raided a facility belonging to some friends of mine, friends who have the ability to mass produce AS's like the ones you found here."

"Why should I even care?"

"Because unlike those savages we used to operate, these have the power to do just about anything. You saw a bright light before didn't you? The AS your using has the same technology as well."

"Why are you telling me this? What benefit is it to you if you tell me what I need to kill you?" Kashim felt his anger flowing through him again as he heard Gauron laugh heartily over his speakers. The sick bastard was enjoying this far too much.

"Because it wouldn't be any fun killing you so easily!" Only a split second followed before Gauron leapt forward, his monomolecular cutter clutched tightly in the mechs hand as it aimed for the exact spot where the cockpit would be inside Kashim's unit. "Let's dance!"

Kalinin and Kaname had moved away as quickly as possible when the two enemies began to face off, now taking refuge behind a short line-up of jeeps and generators along the tall chain link fence of the facility. It seemed that the only real opponent that had stormed the area had been Gauron, since not only had his accomplices been using Savage models, but the few pilots within the mujahideen had begun learning and testing the strangely advanced armslaves from the first moments they had laid eyes on them. When Kaname inquired about why Kashim looked like he was having trouble, despite the confidence that Kalinin seem to hold in him, he simply replied that due to various circumstances, he had been unable to get a closer look at the advanced AS units until now.

Kaname instantly felt guilty at the answer she received. The reason he hadn't been with his people and learning how to operate the armslaves they had discovered, it was because he was spending all his time with her. 'So…it's all my fault. It'll be my fault if he…' she couldn't finish the terrible thought. Feeling daring, she peaked over the edge over the rounded surface of the generator. As she watched the two of them jumping and dodging about, each trying to land a quick and killing blow, Kaname felt her mind swimming again. The longer she watched, her field of vision seemed to narrow, and she began to feel as if she was floating, even though rational thought told her that she was kneeling in the dirt. "Miss Chidori! Chidori are you alright?"

"I…I don't…know, I…"

"What's wrong? Are you injured?"

"…I-I can't…C-C-CS invisib-uh-AAAHH!" Andrei stared in disbelief as Kaname seemed to fight with herself for no reason, pulling at her hair and shirt as if she had lost the last strings of her sanity. Unable to sit and watch any longer, her pulled at her shoulder and slapped her hard across her cheek, hoping to bring her back to herself.

She lay limply in his hold a moment, her eyes completely blank as she stared into nothing, her lips still moving in hushed unfamiliar words. Picking her back up, he shook her shoulders harshly, though mindful that too much could result in whiplash. "Miss Chidori! Miss Chidori can you hear me?" This was just what they needed at a time like this. She had been doing so well earlier, and though he wracked his brain for answers, the only viable explanation was that the scientists that had kept her here had somehow manipulated her mind. It was a very real possibility that they had been 'reprogramming' her to carry specific information, or to perform a certain task upon hearing some sort of verbal password.

Andrei felt relief rush through him when she started blinking again, her voice gradually coming back to her as well, and her eyes re-focused on the world around her. "Miss Chidori, please, are you alright?"

"…I…I think…so. W-What happened? Are we still fighting?" She spoke slowly, almost as if she had just woken up from a dream, though from the sheen of sweat that covered her, anyone would've sworn it had been nothing less than a nightmare.

"Yes, but things aren't looking good at the moment. We never had enough time to experiment with those new armslaves, and Kashim is struggling with it. If this goes on, I'll have to get you out of here on his behalf." Once again the thought of his death sent a chill down her spine, and when she glanced back at the two fiercely battling mechs, somehow she understood how it all worked. She could see everything as if it was written on paper with tiny arrows pointing to specific locations, each one providing detailed explanations on optimal functionality, possible failures, and the catalysts with which to use its most powerful weapons system. Weakly reaching up to grab Andrei's collar, she sat up further and made sure he'd be able to hear her. "Miss Chidori?"

"Please, I need to tell him…"

"What?"

"I need to talk to Kashim. Please…"

"What could be so important that you would need to talk to him now?"

"I-I don't know how, but I…I just know. I have to tell him how to use it…"

"Use what?"

"…the Lambda Driver…"

The air in the cockpit was becoming stagnant and humid from his heavy breathing. Unlike the RK-92 Savages he'd become used to operating, the controls and functions were far more sensitive than any others he had ever used before. The slightest twitch would cause a reaction, and the sheer amount of speed when it moved gave him very little time to react before he made contact. It was almost as if someone had pressed a fast forward button on their every movement.

Glaring at the screen in front of him, Kashim's jaw clenched. Gauron was enjoying this far too much for his own good. With a quick system check, the A.I. sent out a warning that he would need to finish this fight within the next ten minutes before the mech went into auto-shut down due to issues with the cooling system. "Damn," he muttered as he watched the small clock beginning to run down. There had to be something, anything to bring down his opponent. Perhaps there was a move he had yet to make, a weapon he'd yet to use, or a weakness in one of the systems that he could exploit somehow. There just had to be something! But every time he advanced he had been forced back somehow, as if Gauron had some kind of invisible force that not only protected him, but defended him as well.

The sound of Gauron's menacing laughter floated over his external speakers, the very sound itself making his stomach churn, and the idea of emptying its contents became a very real possibility. "Still alive in there Kashim? Don't tell me that I've waited all this time just to kill you so quickly."

"Keep going Gauron, gloating is a sign that you're aware that you've already lost the fight." He could almost see his face contorting in malicious joy as the man's words echoed from his mech.

"Oh really? Then by all means, prove it to me Kashim! Come at me with everything you've got!" Trying once more and brandishing his monomolecular cutter, he advanced quickly, literally springing over one of the buildings and coming down almost right on top of Gauron's mech. Things seemed to slow down just then, as Gauron's AS reached up a hand and pointed at him, the action radiating with confidence as he simply stood there without flinching. "Bang!"

Everything seemed to stop as an intense pressure suddenly surged through his body, making his head feel as though it would burst at any moment. It only lasted for an instant, but the pain that radiated through him lingered far longer than he would have liked. Kashim coughed as the mysterious wave passed over him and his AS, sprinkles of blood splattering over his monitors as the mech finished its fall back onto the ground, once again banging his head. He blacked out for only a moment, though he could have sworn it had been days. Only the timer displaying that he had six minutes left before auto-shut down told him that it had been an extremely short amount of time. "Get up Kashim! Come on! Get up and fight me! You can't be dead yet! I haven't finished playing with you yet!"

Kashim ground his teeth, unable to block out the man's voice like he so desperately wanted to, especially if it meant that he would never speak another word again. Slowly maneuvering the mech to sit up, his muscles still protesting any more exertion, his eyes focused on the screen, preparing himself to strike once more. Just as he felt his muscles primed and ready to pounce again, another voice came through his radio. "Ka…*static*…Kashim? Kashim can you hear me?"

"Miss Chidori?"

"Yeah it's me! Listen, that guy's mech has some special equipment on it! Yours has it too…I think."

"You think? Miss Chidori, I appreciate the worry, but if I let you interfere-"

"JUST LISTEN TO ME! When you were pushed back your mech had like no damage to it right?"

"How do you…"

"Both mechs are loaded with something called a Lambda Driver. It…it makes it so the pilots thoughts take a physical… form…or something."

"What are you talking about? That doesn't make sense!"

"When he's blasted you back, did you see a weird light?"

"Well…yes, but-"

"He was protecting himself with it wasn't he? You did it too when you fell. It protected both of you by reacting to your mind."

"Reacting…my mind?"

"When he blasted you back, you first thought was to protect yourself right? The device just reacted to your thoughts and made it possible!" His mind racing at the things she was telling him, though everything he'd ever known wanted him to dismiss it as the fearful ramblings of a distressed woman, what she was telling him made an odd sort of sense. He had thought of trying to protect himself when Gauron had activated that strange light, and his mech had reported back to him with nothing more than a few paint scratches.

"Miss Chidori, do you know how to use this, Lambda Driver? How it works?"

"I…yes and no. It all depends on the pilot. You have to concentrate and force your will into your actions." Before she could even take a breath to continue, Gauron advanced again. This time though, he was ready, and as Gauron's AS reached a specific distance from him, two spherical forms of electrified light erupted from both of them. As the lights fought against each other, the electric sparks flying, Gauron's AS seemed to float as it tried to force his own back.

"Now you're gettin' it Kashim! Let's have some fun!" Kashim felt the pressure bearing down on his AS, a heavy sweat breaking on the back of his neck from attempting to push his enemy back.

"What are you doing? You need to concentrate Kashim!"

"I'm trying but nothing is happening! I can't get a defensive force to materialize!"

"You mean like this?" The pressure in the cockpit rose quickly, sending him flying back and partially into the ground at the amount of force. The only good that came out of it was that during his fall, the last two savages had been destroyed as the Chodarl went speeding through the air. Thankfully, Kashim was able to get his footing, and slid to a stop as his mechs feet dug deep trenches in the dirt, kicking up tall, thick clouds of dust. "Ooh, getting the hang of things I see. Very good Kashim!"

"Dammit Kashim! I told you to concentrate!"

"I know but-"

"Listen, if you don't concentrate with everything you've got, then he's going to take me back so they can dissect me again! The men will rape me senseless, and the scientists will shoot me so full of tranquilizers that I'll probably die in comatose! Do you want that? Can you let that happen to me?" His heart skipped a beat at the gruesome pictures she painted in his mind, each one of the images flashing by were scattered with the sickening image of splattered blood, dead eyes caused from intense trauma, and the horrifying thought of her lifeless body being picked apart and prodded after they realized she had finally stopped breathing. His mouth filled with the thick taste of copper, never realizing that he had been biting through his cheek, the liquid lazily dripping down his chin as his eyes reflected that same hellish rage that he had displayed only twenty-four hours earlier. 'Never…'

"Does that make you mad?"

"…yes…"

"He wants to do these things to me! Are you just gonna sit there and let him?"

"NO!"

"Then focus on that feeling and rip him apart!" With a furious growl he leapt forward, a bright light beginning to gather around the monomolecular cutter held tightly with the Chodarl's mechanized hand. Gauron moved in as well, advancing quickly as another grotesque smile spread across his face. Both L.D. fields clashed violently for a split second as they passed each other, everyone watching held their breaths as both opposing mechs stood stock still.

A second later, the red Chodarl that Gauron had been operating fell on itself, the blast from Kashim's attack had severed the mech in two at the waist, the legs falling haphazardly to the ground as the upper half descended quickly to land on top of it. Realizing his defeat for the time being, Gauron opened up the entry hatch and stood with his arms raised in surrender, the man's demented smile still present across his face. He watched from the shoulder of the fallen armslave as Kashim approached him, still operating the silver Chodarl he had stolen from the hangar. Kashim raised the boxer cannon toward his target, the open anger and hatred still burning through him as the images from earlier once again assaulted his mind.

'I will never allow that,' he thought as he stared down at Gauron through the cross hairs. Gauron's smile widened as he took aim, the external speakers catching the faintly voiced threat as he spoke.

"Better kill me now Kashim, you may regret it later…" He was about to pull the trigger on the boxer cannon, effectively ridding the world of Gauron forever, when the timer until shut down ran out. The cockpit went dark, all the monitors turned off and the Chodarl went into a forced shut down due to the issues with the cooling system.

Kashim stood leaning on the side of the jeep, his foot tapping impatiently as he waited for Kaname to finish packing the few clothes she could find that would fit her small frame. He wasn't agitated at her, on the contrary, he was agitated and worried over the fact that Majid had decided to forcefully interrogate Gauron for any information about the armslaves kept at the facility. He had been reassured that once Gauron had been drained of any and all information they could tear from him that he would immediately be killed, but somehow the fact that he was still alive at all, it sent a bad feeling through him. As if they were tempting fate by allowing him to live. Unfortunately, Kashim wasn't in charge, so when he had been told the plan regarding their captive, he had immediately gone to Kaname and told her to gather what she could quickly.

The afternoon wind blew hot through his long hair, small clouds of dust kicking up as he waited for her to finish. Everything had been loaded as soon as his feet had hit the ground, now he was just waiting on her. Brushing off some of the excess dirt from his fatigues, he heard a cough from around the back of the jeep. It was Andrei, and he looked just about as anxious as his young friend did about Gauron still being alive. "Sir."

"You're all packed?"

"Yes sir. Miss Chidori is gathering the last of what she could find of appropriate clothing."

"I see." Andrei didn't have to guess at how the young man was feeling. He felt the same way, but instead of bringing it up and adding to their suspicions, he continued with another subject. Pulling out a small piece of folded paper from his pocket, he handed it over, Kashim looking at it with a slightly confused expression. "Should you find yourself cornered with no way out, or that none of the American soldiers will listen to you, this phone number will contact potential allies."

"Sir, correct me if I'm mistaken, but for the last nine years you've been here with the rest of us. How is it you would have a phone number of such a strange origin?" Having unfolded the small paper, Kashim had grown puzzled at the unfamiliar combination of numbers. There was also a name written sloppily across the top, though because of how it was written, he couldn't quite make it out, other than it was written in the English alphabet.

"A while back when we had been passing through one of the villages on the outskirts of Kabul, I was approached by someone. They said that they had heard of my military exploits and wished to extend an invitation to me to join their organization."

"Another mercenary group sir?"

"Something like that. Said that they were 'International Peacekeepers' of sorts. Didn't align themselves with any specific country. I told them I would consider it."

"Why didn't you take it sir? I know you've wanted to leave the country for a while now." Andrei almost faltered for a moment, lightly biting his cheek as he gazed back at his young friend. He couldn't tell him that he had said he wanted to stay and watch over the boy. That the young man in front of him was figuratively the only family he had left. So instead, Andrei did what he knew he had to, and lie to him.

"Let's just say that things came up and it simply slipped my mind." Kashim seemed to accept that answer, folding the paper back up and putting it into his pocket. "Majid is observing the interrogation as we speak. Gauron should be dead before dawn."

"I wish that could be comforting sir."

"I know." Hearing someone approaching, they turned to see Kaname lightly jogging over, a small duffel bag held tightly in her arms so that it wouldn't be obvious that her breasts were jiggling from lack of an adequate bra. She had found a few sports bras, but they were a little too big, so while they still did there job, it was obvious they didn't fit they way they should.

"Are you finished Miss Chidori?"

"Yeah, sorry it took so long."

"Not a problem." Saluting to Andrei, he turned with a quick acknowledgment and headed toward the driver's seat. Kaname threw the bag into the rear with the rest of their things and turned to face Andrei, brushing some of the hair out of her face from the wind.

"I-I wanted to thank you for everything Mr. Kalinin. You've all done so much for me, even if I can't repay any of it." Offering a kind smile, they shook hands for what was likely the last time.

"It has been wonderful to meet you Miss Chidori. I hope you are returned home safely."

"Really, thank you so much for helping me. Bye." Andrei stood back and watched as the small jeep pulled out of the compound, two of the old RK-92's following as guides until they would reach the edge of the valley. The dirt blew up in thick clouds as the wind picked up and started to cool. Dark grey clouds that had been so far on the horizon were now rapidly moving in, and had their situation been different, Andrei might have joked about the irony of it all.

Gauron leaned back against the cool concrete of the cell he'd been put in, the grin still plastered on his face despite the cuts, swelling, and bruises from his earlier meeting with Majid. With a hiss and a loud crack, he reset his finger back in the joint, the last of the four that they had forced out of place in their attempts to make him talk. Just outside the door were two men armed with AK-47s, and if his calculations were correct, they changed the shift every forty-five minutes or so. Therefore, it came as a bit of a surprise when the door opened and only a young woman stood there. Still, he wasn't about to question where he knew he wouldn't get answers, so instead he chuckled, brushing it off. "I wasn't aware that Muslims believed in conjugal visits."

"Silence you Chinese pig! I could kill you right now and no one would care!"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm not of Chinese descent." Throwing one leg over the other, he leaned forward and tilted his head to the side. Normally an inquisitive action, no matter what he did, it always reeked of violent insanity. "So what is it you need, Doll face?"

Gathering her courage, Fatin stood tall, hoping to look imposing as she spoke in a forceful voice she never before used on any male. "I am here to offer you a bargain."

"A bargain you say? Very interesting. And what kind of bargain did you have in mind Doll face?" Fatin had to resist the urge to vomit with the way he looked at her. There would most definitely be a hot bath in her near future; the man's voice alone making her feel filthy.

"That foreign girl, the one following Kashim."

"Kaname chan? What? Did you want me to pass along a goodbye note to her?"

"I want you to kill her." Fatin watched as he leaned back again, the mirth from earlier fading into an annoyed stare for only a moment before his deviously confident smirk returned. "If you agree to kill her, I can guarantee your escape from this place."

"And what's to stop me from killing you right now and leaving on my own?" Fatin's eyes widened as she listened. She hadn't considered that at all, believing that the man in front of her was just another random mercenary hired by the Russians to find and attack them. Just another man paid to do a job, and who would follow the highest bidder. Fatin came back to herself as the sound of his laughter filled the small room. Standing up slowly, he rolled his head on his shoulders, loosening up the stiff muscles. "It's a deal then Doll face. You get me out of here, and I make sure Kaname chan finds out what color her brain is." Confident that her wish would be granted, Fatin made the deadly mistake of turning her back on him to exit the small room. A second after she had turned, Gauron rushed over and grabbed hold of the dagger she had thought well hidden in her sleeve. Raising it up to her neck, once again she was unfortunately graced with Gauron's insane laughter, the sound further fueling the fear that coursed through her veins. "On second thought, I think I'll handle things my way. Nice meeting you, Doll face."

The last thing Fatin saw as she sunk to the ground, her life's blood rushing from the deep wound across her neck, was Gauron's back as he causally strode back out onto the facility grounds, his voice carrying a lyrical tune as he spoke.

"Here I come Kashim! Ready or not…"


	7. The Blood of 40 Thieves

Kaname's eyes were still blurry from unshed tears as she sat near the fire, her friend and protector wrapped in bandages from yet a few more wounds he'd gained in her service. Feeling another stray tear slip past her thick lashes, she wiped it away, doing everything she could to keep her eyes open, if only to reassure herself that he was still breathing. The events earlier that day had been a very frightening and trying experience, and though she was exhausted and her muscles sore, she continued to stay vigilant over her precious friend.

As the silence of the evening stretched on, Kaname had eventually taken to leaning against a nearby boulder, pulling up Kashim's head to gently lay it in her lap as she petted his hair, hoping that on some level, it would help soothe the injuries he'd received. The area was quiet except for the sounds of crickets, and in the shadows of the small rocky outcropping she had made their camp in; they were sheltered from the evening breeze. Her fears beginning to get the better of her, Kaname sang to herself softly, trying to dispel the feeling of loneliness. Chills continued to run up her spine as thoughts of only a few hours earlier still haunted her, and that no matter how steady things seemed to go, they could always change in the blink of an eye...

Five Hours Earlier...

"So then what happened when the Caliph found the dead girl in the box?" Her brown eyes glittered in the mid-day sunlight, her curiosity clearly visible as she sat in the seat next to him, her hair whipping about from her ponytail. It was endearing to see her acting in such a childish manner, despite what had happened to her, and he smirked to himself from behind the wheel of the jeep, ignoring the slight burning sensation from the leather on his hands.

"The Caliph was furious, and ordered his Ja'far to hunt down the murderer so that he could pay for his crimes."

"They found him right?"

"Yes. They went into the town square and demanded that he name himself. A young man came forward and surprised them when he confessed to his guilt." Wiping the light sweat from his brow, he took hold of the wheel before continuing, enjoying every second he left her in suspense with the many stories he'd been told from Majid as a boy. "The young man said that she had been his wife, and had always been a very good woman, even bearing him three sons. One day, she told him that if she did not have the taste of apples, that she would fall deathly ill. He searched and searched, but eventually his wife became sick with fever. When he was ready to give up hope that his wife would die, his gardener was gracious enough to sell him three apples for his wife."

"So she got better then right? She had the apples, so she should get better."

"No not quite. The young man then went to the market for the day to sell his wares, confident that his wife would recover. While he was at the market, an ugly slave came by the young man's shop, eating a nice red apple. When the young man asked where he had received the apple, the slave told him that his mistress had given it to him. A gift from her pimp of a husband." Kashim tried to hide the smirk of enjoyment when he heard her gasp softly. Her slightly childish nature was endearing, and it was refreshing to know how quickly she was able to bounce back from all the terrible things that had been happening so far.

"Oh, this sounds bad."

"Yes, and because of hearing that, the young man was sent into a jealous rage at the prospect. He was so furious that he ran home immediately, and when he arrived, he found that his wife only had two apples. When he asked what happened to the other, she said she didn't know, and he immediately thought that she had lied to him. So he had killed her, and put her body into the box and set it adrift on the river." Kashim tried not to smirk as Kaname twisted a piece of her hair through her fingers as she waited patiently for the rest of the story. She reminded him so much of how the other children had been, so many years ago as they sat by the fire, enraptured by the tale the General told them.

"So was he punished for killing his wife? Or did the Caliph let him go free?"

"Patience Miss Chidori. I'm getting to that. When the young man returned home, he found his sons crying. He asked them what was wrong, and the youngest replied that he had taken one of the apples with him to the market, and that an ugly slave had stolen it from him. The boy had argued that he needed it for his mother's life, but the slave didn't listen and pushed him down. It was then that the young man realized that he had killed his wife for no reason." Pausing a moment, Kashim waited to see if she was going to question the fate of the young man once again, as it surely looked like she wanted too badly. Kaname stayed silent though, her expression becoming more urgent as she awaited the finale to the story.

"The Caliph, having heard the whole story, he-"

PING!

"What the-?"

PING! PING, PING, PI-PING! His eyes darting to the rear view mirror, Kashim saw three vehicles tailing them, the dust behind them billowing up as they raced to catch up to them. Assessing that there was approximately twelve of them total, he floored the gas pedal and slipped the car into the next gear, the engine roaring as it sped up quickly.

"Looks like we'll have to finish the story later Miss Chidori! Keep low and don't do anything unless I tell you! Understand?"

"Y-Yeah!" Reaching out to the floor near her legs, he took hold of his rifle, making sure the glove compartment still had the spare magazines he had stashed there while Kaname was locating extra clothes.

"Miss Chidori! I'm going to need you to take the wheel!"

"Ah! B-but I've never driven before!" Kaname protested, even as he was sliding over and lifting her around him, one foot still held firmly down on the accelerator.

"We don't have a choice Chidori! Just concentrate on staying the course! I'll take care of the rest!" Quickly taking hold of the wheel, Kaname tried to stay calm as she ducked her head down as far as she was able while still being able to see in front of the jeep. As they started exchanging fire, bullets whizzed by her arms, head and hands as their attackers tried to make her loose enough control that she might end up stopping or sabotaging the vehicle. Kaname stayed surprisingly cam as she concentrated on the valley pass in front of her, the almost road beginning to narrow the farther into the mountains it went, winding as the hills around them grew larger and the sides rose a little steeper with every new outcropping.

Kashim took aim as their attackers continued firing at the jeep, trying to hit a critical spot and force the jeep to stop. Taking careful aim, he was able to make a couple of crucial hits to the hood of one of the three jeeps. Steam rose from the bullet holes as they pierced the fragile engine's components, knocking loose a few key parts and halting the jeeps machinery to the front wheel drive far too quickly. The hood was swept under as the forward momentum of the jeep kept propelling the vehicle, the extended bumper catching onto a small rocky outcropping and flipping it, sending the men inside sailing into the boulders that lined the base of the mountain, silencing them forever.

With one jeep down, there was only two left to worry about, however the winding from the ever thinning valley pass was making it difficult for either to land sufficient blows. Hoping to conserve at least a little of his rifle's ammunition, Kashim reached to the back seat over the center console and grabbed the bag he'd stuffed with reinforcements. Taking hold of a few grenades, he positioned them so that he was able to grip three pins in one hand, while preparing to arm them and toss with the other. "Chidori, slow down the jeep, but floor it when I tell you!"

"What! Are you nuts!"

"Just trust me!" Kaname hesitated a second, but just as he was about to tell her again, he felt the jeep begin to slow. Waiting to come up to an area where the valley reached an almost constricting size, Kashim readied the grenades until one of the other vehicles came just close enough. When it looked as if the men were going to start trying to board, he ripped the pins out and stood, throwing them into the front seat of the other jeep before quickly ducking back down and covering his head. "Go!"

With roar of the engine the jeep zoomed forward, kicking up more dirt and dust as it sped up. It only took a few seconds, but when the three grenades went off, Kaname had to force herself to focus on simply driving. She didn't want to imagine that the dark pieces falling back down to earth might actually have once been parts of a living person, but she had to admit, the alternative was far worse. God only knew what the men chasing them wanted, but she'd rather not find out. With only one jeep tailing them, things were supposed to have been looking up for them, but the farther into the valley they went, there was less adequate ground to drive on, and unless they were stopped soon, things were likely to get very bad very soon.

Reaching for his rifle, Kashim yanked his hand back as several bullets whizzed by, scratching the top of his hand and drawing thin lines of blood across them. The other jeep was firing a larger caliber than the one he had, and it seemed that two of them were firing it as one of them drove, and the last one supplied the first two with spare ammunition. Glancing through the windshield, a feeling of dread gathered in his stomach as he saw the improvised road all but disappear, replaced by large scattered rocks and uneven ground. At the speed they were traveling, it was only a matter of time before they either tipped or flipped the vehicle, and considering it was his responsibility to ensure the safety of the young woman with him, Kashim wasn't looking forward to scraping her off one of the miscellaneous boulders. Trying to think of a way to get out of their current predicament, his thoughts were interrupted by Kaname's sudden outburst. "Kashim!"

"Yes?"

"The road's getting worse, what do you think our chances of getting away are if we abandon the jeep with an activated grenade for cover?" Kashim sighed, he didn't like the odds as they were, but they were steadily running low on options. Gathering what he could without getting shot, Kashim took out one of the blankets they had packed and readied his last grenade. Looking back, he knew he should have grabbed more, but considering the route they had planned on taking, he didn't feel they would be as needed as additional ammunition for his AK-47 would be. The blanket wouldn't help much either, but small shrapnel could often be far more deadly than anticipated, and it would have to do for now. "Those odds are as good as any we've got right now Chidori!"

"So how do we make it work then?"

"When you find a niche near a boulder, swing the wheel and slam down on the breaks! It should turn the vehicle and kick up enough dust to confuse them! When we stop, get under the blanket with me and we'll run for a hiding spot!"

"Okay!" It only took a minute or two, but considering the speed they were going, it wasn't surprising that she was able to find an ideal spot quickly. Doing exactly as he said, Kaname made a fast jerk to the left, the jeep sliding over the dirt as her foot pressed down hard on the brake pedal. When they had stopped moving, and the unsuspecting jeep passed by, the two grabbed what they could and bolted.

The two of them dove for cover behind a nearby boulder as the grenade went off, the explosion setting fire to the gas and creating a smoldering inferno where the jeep once stood. Once the initial blast subsided, Kashim was about to stand, assisting Kaname and trying to lose their pursuers in the confusion, but instead found himself looking up the barrel of another AK-47. Following the barrel to look up further, he felt his anger rise as he met the smug face of a would-be dead man. Even if he'd had any thoughts of it possibly being someone else with a similar face, the man before him then held up his right arm, an action indicating he would have waved 'hello', if he'd had a hand. "Ah, Kashim, you survived the surprise attack on the facility I see."

"Why are you still breathing Afzal?" Overhearing the familiar name, Kaname tried to bury herself under the blanket. Her movement giving her away, one of the other men quickly walked over and yanked away her cover, pulling her roughly from the ground before pointing a large knife at her as a warning. "No, Chidori!"

A warning shot fired at his leg when he moved to help her, the bullet just barely missing his knee as it kicked up the dust. "I don't think so Kashim. We will be taking the girl with us. No need to worry, by the time we are finished with her, she will crave even the most depraved things we can think of."

Kashim felt his fury build as the other two who had yet to make a move came over to the man threatening Kaname with his knife. Watching as the three behind Afzal began inspecting and groping her, Kashim tasted blood as Kaname's expression went from fear to absolute horror. She struggled until the man brought the knife to her throat, holding still as tears flowed down her cheeks, the men continued to run filthy hands all over her. Kaname jerked when one of the men's hands grabbed forcefully at her crotch, pain and surprise causing her to arch her back, crying out as she did so.

"Oh my, seems she likes being handled roughly, doesn't she Kashim?" The blood lust now burning in his steel grey eyes, he reached his limit as the man with the knife trailed the blade down the right side of her face, a thin trail of blood left behind it. Kaname tried to stifle a scream from the pain as the knife's teeth cut her cheek, and as a small bead of blood slithered down and fell against the neckline of the shirt she wore, his mind blanked. Though still pointing the AK at his prisoner, Afzal made the deadly mistake of taking his eyes off the young warrior, preferring to watch Kaname as the knife trailed down her face.

In a flash, Kashim drew his kukri from the sheath on his back, severing Afzal's other hand before liberating the man's head from his shoulders. Now covered in the resulting splatter, the other three men stopped cold, gazing at the young man before them, the fear in them growing quickly. Without a second's hesitation, Kashim rushed at them, the afternoon's hot air flowing through his long hair as he moved.

Two of them raising their rifles, the first one managed to shoot him twice, once in his right thigh, and the second through his left bicep, before the young man was too close. Kashim moved with purpose, severing whatever limbs got in his way and slicing through the thick flesh of the man's midsection, ignoring his own wounds as he sated his thirst for vengeance on his ward's behalf. Before the first man could finish his fall to the ground, Kashim moved to the other, managing to cut deeply into the man's thigh just as he pulled the trigger, another bullet piercing Kashim, this time between the shoulder and right clavicle.

With a twist, Kashim moved the blade under his arm and thrust back, impaling the man just under his ribs before forcing it upward to pierce his heart and lungs. The man lurched forward over Kashim's shoulder, blood gurgling out of his mouth as his body was violently shoved back, his innards already beginning to slide out of him as he fell. The man that held Kaname at knife point was trembling now, the sight of the young man nearly covered in the blood of his comrades terrifying him to the very bone. When Kashim's eyes came to rest on Kaname's final captor, he could almost swear the man had soiled himself in fear. With a quick flick of his wrist, Kashim brought the kukri's blade forward again, specs of blood flying off in an arch as it moved. Though still consumed with rage due to the shameful and degrading treatment of Kaname, his wounds were starting to affect him, and the thick red haze that had settled in his mind began to clear.

The blood loss was starting to blur his vision, but he couldn't rest until he was sure Kaname would be safe. He was a natural born predator, and the man before him was his final prey, the smell of blood permeated the air and sent his finely honed instincts into overload, demanding that his prey's blood be spilled. Focusing as much as he could, he used his last burst of energy and ran the short distance to stand in front of them. Thanking his years of practice and precision, he shifted the blade mid-thrust and just barely cut the midsection of Kaname's shirt, the blade wedging between her arm and midriff to slice into the last man. With a strained and gurgled cry, the last man fell, his hold on Kaname going slack as all strength left him.

Kaname's eyes were wide as she heard the sick thud behind her, still trembling from fear, she took in the sight of the young man in front of her. He was covered in blood and sweat, his thick hair fell haphazardly over his face and shoulders as his breathing became more labored from the wound in his shoulder, and a deeply apologetic gaze emanating from the raging storm in his eyes. Every instinct inside her told Kaname that the boy in front of her was dangerous, that she needed to run as fast as she was able and get away from him. But as he stood before her, his focus and balance waning from blood loss, he turned hopeful eyes at her and asked if she was alright. Those few breathless words erased all her fears, and as the tears in her eyes blurred her vision, she went closer to catch him as his knees gave out, making sure to whisper that she was fine and how thankful she was that he was there.

Kaname sighed as yet another stray tear fell down her face, too tired to bother trying to wipe it away. It was taking all her efforts to stay awake now, after expending so much energy earlier. When Kashim's knees had given out, she had propped him up by tossing an arm over shoulders and walking him over to the jeep that had been following them. After laying him in the back, she had run to get his kukri and the guns that used to belong to their attackers. Luckily, they had left the keys in the ignition, and it certainly didn't look like they were going anywhere soon.

Having found a split in the small valley, Kaname had driven them around eight or so miles away from the remnants of their encounter, hoping that it would be far enough that any predators wouldn't attack them while the air still wreaked of blood. Once she had found a suitable spot, she set to work cleaning him up as best she could, needing to remove his shirts due to the more pressing injuries on his arm and shoulder. Kaname was both relieved when she found that the wound on his thigh had begun to close on its own, the bullet only having scraped the skin deeply enough to bleed for a while.

So now she sat, propped against a large boulder with Kashim's head in her lap as she petted his hair, singing to herself to stave off sleep just until she could be reassured that he would be alright. She had already gone through as many of the popular songs as her tired mind would allow her to conjure, even a few nursery rhymes as well. Just about at the end of her musical repertoire, she started singing songs from movies and a few video games, all the while hoping that Kashim would wake up soon so that she could rest.

I had a dream that I could fly

I can feel each moment as time goes by

We'd never be too far away,

You would always be here, I heard you say

I never thought

Thought that it would be our last goodbye

(our last goodbye.)

I still can dream

That one day love will fall out from the sky

Slowly coming back to himself, Kashim heard someone singing, and the soothing feel of gentle fingers running through his hair. The wound on his shoulder throbbed in time with his heart beat, but from what he could gather, it had been bandaged, along with the wound on his bicep. Routinely testing himself, he was relieved to find all of his limbs reacting as they should. Relaxing under the soothing ministrations, he listened as the soft voice continued drifting lightly over him.

Do you still remember all the time that has gone by?

(do you believe?)

Do you still believe that love can fall out from the sky?

If from where you're standing, you can see the sky above

I'll be waiting for you, if you still believe in love

(do you still believe?)

A breeze blew by lightly, and from how much cooler it was, he guessed that the sun must have set a while ago. Though he was more than willing to continue as he was, his stomach demanded he eat, and he carefully opened his eyes, taking in the vision of the exhausted young woman watching over him. The fire light danced over her skin as she leaned against the boulder behind her, her head propped up on her shoulder as her hair spilled from behind her, glittering in the low light. She hadn't noticed he had woken yet, and though he would have liked to watch as she glowed under the luminous fire, she looked as though she was in dire need of some rest.

Find a way to bring back yesterday

Find a way to love

I hope we stay

When tomorrow becomes today

Love will find a way

"Chidori?" Her light singing stopped as she looked down at him with wide eyes, both surprised and relieved at the same time, and once again he was amazed that someone would ever look at him with such an expression. About to ask if she was alright, he noticed the bandage she had on her cheek, a reminder that one of those filthy bastards had marred her flawless skin for no other reason than to piss him off. He suddenly felt guilty again, and though it hurt to move his shoulder just then, he sat up anyway, not really sure if he could meet her eyes after what had happened.

"Kashim? Is something wrong? Should I change your bandages?"

"I'm sorry Miss Chidori."

"Hm? For what?"

"Once again, I forced you to watch as I deliberately killed people." With how much she had already been through, the scientists, and all the fighting since then, he had to wonder if maybe she despised him a little for choosing to live such a life. Her eyes said it all. She was a pure soul, one that never knew what horrors the world hid from the prying eyes of the media, yet he had forced her to look anyway. He felt horrible that he kept needing to spill blood in her presence, but knew very well that if he hadn't that she would have suffered far worse. It was an odd feeling trying to justify killing when it was all he used to live to do. Another wave of guilt was building inside as he sat with his back to her, about to come over him again when he felt soft arms wrap around him from behind. "Chido-"

"I know you feel bad about what you did, but...if you hadn't..." With her words, he felt his shoulders relax against her, her light breath tickling his hair as it fell down his back. "I don't pretend to understand how things work here, but if I had a choice, I wouldn't want anyone else to help me through this but you."

Bringing up a hand, he lightly took hold of hers over his shoulder, the action reassuring both of them that they could see through anything if they had to. Kashim was still frustrated, and he still felt guilty over how much Kaname had to endure while she was near him, but her words had pushed those thoughts aside for the moment, allowing him to relax further into her gentle embrace.

"Thank you." Lifting back from him, he turned to see her smile as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, folding her hands in her lap.

"You're sure you're feeling alright now, right?"

"I-yes. I should be fine for now."

"Good, then while I get some of this canned soup ready, why don't you tell me the end of the story?" Surprised that she even remembered that he had been telling her one earlier that day, he smiled as she brought out a small pot and began heating some of the canned soups so they could eat. Carefully, so as not to disturb his bandages, he moved to a more suitable position and sat with her as the firelight continued to crackle in the quiet night.

"That won't be a problem Chidori."


	8. Cracks in the Ice

The wind blew harshly as they walked along the top of one of the mountains, wisps of snow kicked up with each step they took. Every breath was articulated with a quick fog, disappearing as soon as it came, carried away in the blustery wind. The cold was piercing, and several times Kaname had to rub her hands together to assist the blood pumping into her fingers. It had been early evening the day before when they had reached the limit of how far they were able to go in the jeep, the ground not permitting any sort of vehicle to easily pass through it. Gathering their packs, they hiked upward towards the top, walking along the mountain ridge as it steadily inclined, the air getting colder as they went.

By Kashim's calculations, they would still have about a four to five day walk ahead of them, weather permitting, before finally reaching the city. Though it was a comfort to know that once they reached the end of the mountain range, that they would be able to have Kabul within their sights. Until then, Kaname trudged behind him in the snow, the biting chill rushing through her long hair. Pulling the tunic higher to help cover her neck, Kaname followed Kashim as closely as she could, trying to tread carefully on the unpredictable ground. The heavy backpack and the wind were both working against her, and she was starting to feel that she might topple over soon.

Her calves were also screaming at her, the muscles in her legs taut with exertion after such a long period of inactivity. She stumbled as a rock she stepped on came loose, squeezing her eyes shut as she fell forward. Before she was able to feel the sharp cold of snow covered rocks on her hands, Kaname peeked open her eyes as she realized she was being held by strong arms, and being lifted back onto her feet. With a reassuring smile, Kashim helped her to get her footing on the frozen ground, having to yell so he could be heard over the roaring wind in their ears. "Do you need to stop and rest at all Miss Chidori?"

Not one to ever want to feel useless, Kaname tried to put on a brave face, in spite of the exhaustion that clung to her limbs. "N-no, I should be fine for bit longer." Fortunately for her, Kashim could see right through her attempt, but could fully understand not wanting to feel like she might be slowing them down. There had been a few times when he was younger that he had often been left straggling behind the caravans, gasping with tired breaths as his small legs tried in vain to catch up with the rest of the mujahedeen. Knowing the feeling to such a degree, he decided to do what Kalinin had always done for him, and make it seem as if he was the one in need of rest instead.

"It might be wise if we rest a minute. I'm getting thirsty." Sitting down in the snow, he took out one of the canteens and took a drink, offering the container to Kaname when he'd finished. A bit hesitant, Kaname slowly took hold of the canteen, a blush coming to her cheeks as she took hold of the container. Her eyes locked on the opening, she tried to erase the thoughts her mind conjured, most specifically ones concerning 'indirect kisses'. "Is something wrong Miss Chidori?"

"Eh, uh, n-no of course not!" Quickly downing a small amount of water, Kaname was glad that she would be able to attribute the blush she could feel spreading on her cheeks to the cold. Handing it back to him, she sat down slowly on one of the snow-covered rocks, huddling farther under the tunic she had been given. Even with the incredible cold blowing around them, Kaname marveled at the amazing view that had spread out before them as they continued their trek. Tall jagged mountaintops covered in snow sparkled in the early afternoon sunlight. The rocks that still managed to stay above the blanket of pure white looked almost black as they spotted the mountains, and the brilliant blue of the sky creating what looked as close to picture perfect as she had ever seen. A hawk was gliding on the strong winds a few meters away from them, and Kaname smiled as it suddenly dipped, possibly to capture its next meal. "Beautiful..."

Also having been caught up in admiring the beauty of their surroundings, Kashim's gaze had gradually floated over to the young lady beside him. Her hair still blowing wildly in the fierce wind, it almost seemed to blend in with the glittering sky behind her. Though he had known many females in his short life, especially with the mujahedeen, none of them had been anything like Kaname. She was still delicate, and one of the purest souls he'd ever encountered; but underneath it all was a strong and determined spirit. She was so alike, yet so different from anyone he'd ever met before, even trying to figure out exactly how was daunting. It wasn't something he could easily explain to himself, but every time she showed how strong and capable she could be, it never ceased to amaze him.

Still watching her from the side of his view, he saw her smile at something, her hair coming down with a slight pause of the wind, only to float it back over her shoulders before picking up speed again and whipping it back. It was then that he heard her softly say a single word, 'Beautiful...', and if he was honest with himself, he would have to completely agree. She was beautiful, undeniably so with the slight blush lingering on her cheeks from the cold. It seemed to highlight her natural beauty, softening her eyes in a way that he'd never seen before, and before he realized what was happening, his voice replied to her comment. "Yeah..."

"Hm? Did you say something Kashim?"Turning back to quickly look out over the view, he hoped that the wind helped to hide the blush that spread across his face, embarrassed that he had actually said what he thought without realizing it. He seemed to be doing that a lot since he met her...

"Uh, *cough* n-no, nothing Miss Chidori." Standing, he brushed off some of the excess snow that clung to his tunic, keeping his head as low as he could into the bundled neck, just in case the blush was still visible. "W-we should continue on and locate shelter soon. The temperature will drop more after the sun sets, and it's a very real possibility that a sudden snow storm could come through here."

Smiling up at him as she took his offered hand, Kaname stretched out her still tired muscles before picking up the heavy backpack, nodding to him as soon as she was ready to continue. Large dark clouds were starting to gather over the horizon, getting closer with each minute, and if the winds were as harsh as they were without a storm, Kaname decided that she would prefer to never find out if they could get any worse.

The clouds had been building since the day they left the facility, but for a while it seemed as though they had been able to outrun them. Deep grey billowed out from the thick blanket that separated them from the once calming and brilliant blue of the sky, and as they continued making their way along the mountain ridge, for some reason seeing that the clouds had caught up with them sent a strange chill up her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. It almost seemed as if more than just the clouds were coming closer to them, but she couldn't put her finger on it. When a small, shallow cave made itself known, Kaname was more than grateful to get in and out of the raging winds for a while. "Whew! I never minded the wind much, but that's getting bad out there!"

"Yes. We were lucky to locate so much room in such a brief time. Our likelihood of surviving the night would have dropped significantly had we not been able to locate shelter."

"Always seeing the glass half full, huh Kashim?" Kaname didn't even try to fight the laughter that bubbled up when he turned an incredibly confused face toward her in response. His expression had been just too funny to resist, and as she let it out, she missed the look of somewhat surprise from him as well. Even after spending so much time around her as he had since she woke up that first time, he still couldn't figure her out. She was like a constantly changing enigma, and while one moment she seemed calm, the next he would simply state what he figured was the obvious, and she would find him funny for it. "Sorry, but I couldn't resist. You just look so funny when you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"I do?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's kind of sad that you've had to grow up like you have, but I like you anyway." Kaname's laughter slowed as she watched a curious expression come over Kashim's face. She couldn't quite place it, but it seemed to be a mix of pure shock, and something else she couldn't really explain. "Is something wrong Kashim? Did I...did I maybe say something I shouldn't have?"

"Ah, no...it's just..."

"What?" The pure innocence glowing in her eyes at her question captivated him as much as her words had. For as long as he could remember, no one, not a single person he'd ever met had ever told him those three small words before. 'I like you...' Somehow his chest felt heavy, as if being weighed down by something he couldn't explain. So many thoughts had halted when he had heard her speak those words, the astonished silence in his mind was a bit overwhelming. It almost felt like...calm.

"Kashim? Are you okay?"

"...no one has ever spoken to me like that before..."

"Hm?"

"I...I'm not sure how to respond. I've never been 'liked' by anyone before. Chidori, how does one respond to being 'liked'?"

Hearing him say something like that, Kaname felt a powerful sadness building up inside her at the thought of such a kind person having to live such a way for so long. He'd helped her without asking anything in return, looked out for her in a place so different from the one she knew, and to hear that he had never once been told that someone liked or appreciated him at all...

Kaname could feel the burning behind her eyes that would have signaled tears, but she held them back, knowing that it might only confuse him further. It was difficult, but she was able to stop them before they blurred her vision. Leaning forward, she took one of his hands in her own, sadly noting that he still seemed lost on things like reassurance. Her throat still thick with unshed tears, she tried to ignore the near electric feeling of holding his hand again, hoping that he wouldn't be able to see how it was affecting her to do so. "Well, we still have a few days until we get to the city right? Maybe by the time we get there you can tell me what it feels like."

Andrei sat heavily on the fallen piece of concrete, the wind still blowing hot even though the cloud cover had not lessened since earlier the night before. His cold eyes surveyed the area, thankful that his years on the battlefield had been able to keep his expression stoic in the midst of such tragedy. After Gauron had escaped, he had made his way straight to the hangar, and as they had all assumed, he knew exactly where everything was located. He had been here before. Stealing one of the arm slaves, he had gone on a full rampage, destroying everything and killing all those who got in his way before turning on some kind of cloaking device and disappearing as quickly as he had come.

Andrei watched as the few survivors wandered about the open yard, collecting the dead and moving them over near one of the buildings. He suppressed a flinch when he recognized one of the young boys, no older than ten, dragging his mother across the dirt. Tears flowed down his small face, their trails cutting clean through the dirt that had smudged while trying to run for cover earlier. Ihsan was the eldest in his family, and had always done his best to protect his mother and two younger siblings after his father had been killed. Now he was alone, his mother and two younger siblings ripped from his grasp, and he had been completely helpless to it. Not able to watch the poor boy any longer, Andrei turned back to the man laying in the dirt next to him.

Majid had been struck sometime in the ambush, and now lay against a fallen piece of concrete wall, his injuries patched as he spoke to his long time comrade and advisor, trying to keep his breathing level. "Kashim would blame himself for this you know."

Andrei nodded in silence. The boy took on more than he should for a young man his age, and whenever it would be that he would learn of what had happened, he would gladly take any blame and beatings delivered to him for it. "I'm aware of that. Though none of us could have predicted this level of devastation."

"Have they yet discovered how he escaped?"

"Hm. Fatin was found in his cell. It appears he cut her throat before making his way over to the hangar."

"Fatin?"

"Yes. Haidar's pride must be severely wounded right now." A strangled laugh drifted up from where Majid lay, confusing Andrei for a moment before the man spoke again.

"His pride would be wounded, if it wasn't in pieces right now." The realization didn't really hit Andrei until Majid had spoken, and though it guaranteed that his young friend would never again have to face Haidar's whippings for no other reason than his own enjoyment, it was very likely that he would blame himself for the man's death as well. Majid had gone quiet for longer than he had before, so with a quick hand, Andrei took hold of his wrist and searched for a pulse. "I'm not dead yet old friend. It will take more than that to kill me."

"Let's hope that is the case." Turning back to watch the moving clouds near the mountain tops, Andrei caught a foreign scent in the air. It only took another few minutes as the scent grew stronger, finally growing to its strongest when he felt the strong tremors of the landing about half a mile outside the fence's perimeter. Andrei stood as he waited to see if he would be greeting their new guests, or if they should prepare to die from Gauron's second assault. He was seriously hoping that the former was correct, as after today, he had seen enough children picking up their parents bodies to last him the rest of his life.

Finally, the air shimmered in front of him, revealing the two arm slaves that had been sent to meet him, and at once he could feel relief flooding his system that Gauron had not returned to finish off those who were left. One of them seemed to have an extended antenna on its head, and as it leaned over and kneeled into resting position, Andrei guessed that that one must be the one in charge. He couldn't say he was surprised, but he hadn't expected the woman he'd spoken to nearly a year ago to be the one operating the large mech, the wind blowing her short black hair as she exited the machine and crawled down to stand in front of him. "So, you've changed you mind then Mr. Kalinin?"

"Yes. Recent events have made my decision for me, and unfortunately, I have no choice in the matter now." She nodded at his response, the look in her eyes telling him that she understood his reasoning. Reaching out her hand, she opted for a proper greeting this time, as opposed to the last time they met.

"My name is Melissa Mao, second leader of the West Pacific Special Response Team. My subordinate and myself are going to be escorting you to our superiors, and from there they can take care of getting everything in order for you."

"I have only one request to make before I leave, if I may."

"A request?" Andrei turned and had Melissa take in the remaining devastation left in Gauron's wake.

"Yes," Andrei turned to allow Melissa a look at the fallen Majid, the wind still blowing lightly through his beard as he lay on the fallen concrete wall. "Above all else, he must survive. These people, and this country need him right now. Without him, the morale of this country would fall, and the Russians will win. That must not happen."

Making sure to bury her emotions at the horrible sights that surrounded them, Melissa lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes now reflecting the saddened determination that his did. Resolutely, she cleared her throat and stood tall, nodding to him before speaking once more. "I think that can be arranged."

"AH!"

"Oh shut up you big baby! Honestly..."

"You're being rather rough about it this time Chidori-AH!" Lying prone on the blanket she had spread out, Kashim tried not to bite through his lip as Kaname went through the motions of assisting him with caring for his injuries. After setting up camp in the cave, he'd been able to somewhat secure a weatherproof sheet at the entrance, which was currently helping to keep out the harsh winds and majority of the snow. Kaname had then changed from the shirt and pants she'd worn that day, and into a simple sun dress that she'd been able to locate in one of the facilities closets. It was still more than the normal amount of flesh Kashim was used to seeing, but at least the hem came down closer to her knees than the paper gown he had first seen her in did.

His back was healing nicely enough, and it looked as if he might be able to go without the bandages within another day or two. Even so, this fact did not make the particular area near his lower back any less painful. Unfortunately for him, the one she was working on at the moment must have been over a bed of sensitive nerves. Every move she made to clean it before putting on more medicine seemed to burn like hell! Gritting his teeth as yet another wave of pain swept over him, he tried to even out his breathing so she could work easier. "Chidori? Are you using a different antiseptic by any chance?"

"No, it's the same as what you used back at the facility. Why?"

"Oh, uh...no reason." Cringing as he felt her continue, he tried turn her focus back to the conversation they had been having before. "So Chidori, what happened to your friend after that?"

"Ooh, it was not pretty! Since Ono-D lost the bet and couldn't get even one girl's phone number, he had to go streaking across the rugby field during the half-time show! It was so bad!" Distracted by her story, she laughed as she cleaned the last of the marks on his back, accidentally scraping the skin near a particularly deep cut and making him jump.

"AH! S-streaking Chidori?"

"He had to run naked in front of everyone who went to the game that night. He was so embarrassed! He didn't show up at school for three days!" Glad she took a minute to finish laughing before applying the antiseptic to the cut, the other half of his mind was now filled with questions he wasn't sure he'd want answers to. Remembering his own past and having similar situations done to him, he couldn't help the suspicions that Kaname actually enjoyed torturing people. As her laughter died down, Kaname realized how quiet he had become. Moving to the side so he could sit up, she turned and started wrapping the fresh gauze around his torso. "Um...Kashim? Is there something wrong?"

"It sounds like he suffered an undue punishment for losing a simple bet Chidori." Even though his voice was low, Kaname flinched at the hard tone he had used, her grip on the gauze loosening for a moment. Tying it off, she began slowly unwrapping his arm to treat the wound in his bicep.

"It...it wasn't meant to be that way." Feeling his muscle twitch under the sting of the medicine, she suddenly felt bad for having laughed at something that might have been misconstrued. Gathering her courage and trying to clear her throat, Kaname kept her head low as she softly tried to explain. "It was never meant to be something that would hurt him Kashim. None of us would have done something to hurt a friend of ours. I...I don't know if it makes it any better in your eyes, but, he was laughing about it with the rest of us about a week later."

He still wasn't looking at her, and the weight in her chest seemed to grow the longer his silence lasted. Suddenly she felt very guilty, wishing now that she could go back and take it all back, even though she understood that no one had meant Ono-D any real harm at all. Almost at the point of tears as she finished tying the gauze off, she kept her head lowered, ashamed that she had disappointed her precious friend. Hearing just the faintest whimper beside him, Kashim suddenly felt like an unbelievable cad. He never meant to make her cry, it was just that something she had found to be a humorous occurrence for a friend of hers had touched on some delicate memories. Taking a long and silent breath, he took hold of the medicine and a sanitized applicator, turning so he faced her as they sat. Carefully lifting her face, he almost felt his heart stop at the absolutely pitiful face she wore.

Being careful not to hurt her, he pulled down the bandage on the side of her face, setting it aside as he supplied the medicine to the applicator. "Please don't cry Chidori."

"B-but I-"

"No, it was something I shouldn't have let get to me, and I took it out on you. I apologize. I won't let that happen again." Her face still held up by his hand, she nodded slightly, wiping at the tears still in her eyes so she could see clearly. Gently tilting her face, he ran it over the long cut, making sure to be as light as possible so she wouldn't be hurt. Once applied, he took a fresh bandage from the travel kit they'd packed and smoothed it over the side of her face. "It's healing very well Chidori."

"Really?" Her words came out soft and breathy, her throat still choked with unshed tears. Afraid they might still fall, he kept his tone reassuring.

"Yes. The cut isn't deep, so there should be little to no chance of a scar being left." It wasn't until she finally raised her focus from the ground that they noticed how close they were. He could clearly see the extra moisture of unshed tears in her eyes, the slight tint to her cheeks, and her soft skin still underneath his fingertips. A small bit of fading light came through the weatherproof sheeting he had put up to keep out the elements, illuminating her eyes and making them shine from beneath smooth azure hair.

The parts of her face he'd touched still seemed to tingle as she fell into concerned grey eyes. Though the air was still cold, Kaname could feel the heat rising in her face the longer she looked in those eyes. The feeling seemed to spread the longer she stared, and within moments it began to feel warm all over. For as long as she'd been on her own, Kaname had never felt anything like what she now did for her only friend in the entire country, and with everything that kept happening, she honestly couldn't tell if it really was only friendship she felt for him. He defended her, let her lean on him if she needed it, killed for her...

Moving quickly before she lost her nerve, Kaname leaned forward and pressed timid lips to his, hoping to find answers to questions she wasn't sure she knew how to ask. The medicinal applicator fell from his fingers, eyes wide as she kissed him, unsure of what exactly to do other than to remain still. He'd never felt anything like the emotions her kiss inspired in him, each of them running rampant through him as they demanded his attention. Unable to put into words what was even happening, his mind became slightly fuzzy when he felt her run a hand through his hair, slender fingers catching on the occasional tangle before reaching the end. The action was surprisingly soothing, and his resolve fell a little more as he only barely leaned into her.

"Chidori?" he breathed her name against her lips, scant centimeters from his own, as they each gazed searchingly into each other's eyes. She gasped as warm breath tickled at the moist sensitivity of her lips, unaccustomed to such a sensation. His expression grew concerned at the way she seemed to be listing off, and he brought his hands to firmly grasp her waist, not wanting her to fall over.

Feeling his hands brush along her hips only served to fuel the flames she felt building within. She leaned forward into his hold, resting arms on strong shoulders. Their lips met once more, and as he felt her shiver against him from something other than cold, he finally understood why it was she had seemed so weak. He felt all the tension leave his body at once, to the point where he felt far from useful, and he allowed her weight against him to push him back. Stretching out his legs beneath her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist to bring her closer. The feeling of warmth spreading through him, the calm, the unfamiliar comfort of acceptance, everything she gave him just then left him needing more. It was a need he never knew he had until it had started finding satisfaction. The odd taste of everything that made each of them them blended together into a heady drug, and Kashim was sure he was addicted.

Spreading her knees as he moved his legs, Kaname slowly lowered herself to rest on his thighs, one arm coming from its place around his neck to instead grip his shoulder, her fingers squeezing slightly as she fought for balance against the pleasant light-headedness she was experiencing. She really had never felt anything quite like it before, and she wanted more. Her other hand slid into wild hair at the nape of his neck, slim fingers tangling within, locking him in place. Parting once more, chests heaving to fill spent lungs, Kaname smiled timidly, meeting his eyes and speaking breathlessly, "Kashim..."

His fingers twitched at the name on her lips, and for a moment he wondered why it was that it seemed to bother him. It was his name, sure, but something about it, coming from her, now, like this, it didn't feel right. Bowing his head, he rested his forehead on her shoulder, eyes closed as his arms wrapped tightly around her. Confused, worried, and even a little scared, Kaname soothingly ran her fingers along the base of his skull, repeating his name. "Sousuke," he spoke, his voice muffled against her skin.

"Huh?" she pulled back, or tried, his grip only allowing her to edge slightly back before it drew her back to him. "Ka-Kashim, what's wrong?"

His breath tickled at her skin, slipping in under her dress and eliciting a shiver from her. Kashim lifted his head and stared into her eyes, searching, before finally repeating himself after what had seemed forever, "Sousuke."

"Sou-suke?"

Nodding, he slowly brought up a hand to brush away long strands of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. His fingertips lingered on the skin of her shoulder, his gaze drawn to the gentle curve of her neck before coming back up to her face. "My name. My real name, it's Sousuke. Sousuke Sagara."

"Sousuke. Sagara," she tried the name out, the syllables flowing far more naturally from her lips than any of the other names she had encountered in this strange place. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips, happiness welling up inside of her at the thought that he had trusted her with his real name, a name that no one else seemed to call him by anymore. That he would want her to know it, and to use it, she couldn't describe the emotions she felt, but tears pricked at the corner of her eyes again. "Sousuke...," she choked on a sob, falling against his chest, shaking.

"Chi-Chidori?" What did he do wrong? Why was she crying again? His hands rubbed soothingly along her back as he tried to figure out just what had happened. "Chidori, I-I'm sorry, please, stop crying, I don't-."

"I'm sorry, So-Sousuke, I'm just, I'm so happy," her body shook and her voice broke, stumbling over the sobs that wracked her body.

He really was at a loss. She was crying because she was happy, was it? And just what was it about his name that made her so happy? Though, he had to admit, hearing her say it was making him happy as well, but he really could not fathom just what it was that cheered her so. "I, ah, I see."

Giggling softly, Kaname pulled away, swiping at her eyes with the back of her arm before smiling up at him with shining eyes. "Thank you, Sousuke, so much."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Chidori."

Not really surprised, she stroked his face, thumb gently tracing a high cheekbone before slipping over an ear. His breath hitched, then quickened, and she leaned forward for another quick, shy kiss. "For trusting me, for sharing with me, for, just, for being here, with me, Sousuke. I can't imagine going through this with anyone else, and with you, I'm happy. Thank you."

He had no idea what to say, and she didn't let him founder for words much longer. Resettling herself more firmly in his lap, she drew his face in for another kiss, the giddiness sweeping through her giving her newly bolstered courage, and she firmly pressed her lips against his. Taken slightly aback by the change in attitude, Kashim's eyes widened, though not for long. It really didn't take much of her body pressed against him, fingers teasing at the longs strands of hair at his neck, sweet mouth enveloping his, to convince him that everything really was all right.

He opened his mouth to say something, all words leaving his mind as she surprised him yet again. Her tongue slid into his mouth, exploring curiously before slowly retreating. His hands slid to her waist and he gripped tightly, his hold on the fabric of her dress causing the hem to slip up. Against his bare stomach, he felt the material retreat, replaced by the sensation of soft skin as Kaname settled firmly in his lap. Rolling a slender shoulder as she moved to steady herself, a strap slid loose from its grasp to lay limply along her arm. Rather than fix it, she gently coaxed his head down to her exposed collarbone, kissing her way along his jaw, cheek, temple, and head as his ragged breath left a burning trail down her throat.

All coherent thought seemed to disappear under the feel of her lips on his skin, the rush of his breath and the rapid beating of his heart being the only things that registered to his ears. As she continued, his eyes drifted slowly open, shocked that they could even function under the rush of desire that had overcome him. Every one of his other senses were completely filled by her, and his gaze came to rest on the creamy shoulder that still supported his forehead as she continued her wonderful torture. Unaware of what exactly came over him, his neck slowly craned upward, his body demanding that he know what such soft and inviting skin should taste like. Almost too slowly for anyone to tell, his mouth opened, teeth bared as they almost itched to lightly press into her skin.

Grasping for something to hold onto as she leaned back, his lips locking onto the hard ridge of bone, they gasped and bolted apart at a loud clattering. Pulling her strap up close to her neck and looking around alarmed, as Kashim took up arms, half standing, searching for danger. The culprit turned out to be a can that Kaname had sent rolling into a pile, and she blushed, still holding her dress tightly closed, arms crossed over her chest. "Ah, I-."

"Perhaps you should get some rest, Chidori."

"Ah, but, I haven't fixed us any dinner and-"

"It's alright. I'll keep watch for a while and set up a simple alarm system for the entrance."

She clamped her mouth shut, lips pressed tightly together and she nodded stiffly. His voice had sounded strange, and she could not tell just what it was he was thinking. Was he angry? Ashamed? What was it he thought of her, she wondered. He certainly had not been objecting a minute ago, so could it be that he was perhaps embarrassed about it? In any event he seemed unwilling to discuss anything further at the moment, already having taken to the task of setting up his crude alarm system just behind the weatherproof sheet at the mouth of the small cave.

Settling down, she pulled up her cover, her back to him as she settled in for some sleep. The blankets already beginning to warm her, she turned her head back, watching him as he still sat at the entrance in silence. "Sweet dreams, Sousuke."

Laying back down onto the rolled clothing being used as a pillow, the fire continued crackling in the quiet of the shallow cave, wind blustering from outside. Almost inaudible over the howl of the wind and the crack of the fire, another soft sound drifted toward the back of the cave.

"Goodnight... Kaname..."


	9. Scent of the Damask

Tessa flipped through the reports that had been handed into her from the Urzu team's last deployment, her frown deepening as her gaze focused on the increasingly depressing type. Due to various circumstances, the Eastern Sea Fleet already had a full mission roster, leading to the decision that the West Pacific Fleet would take on any extra missions, should they come up, until further notice. It had only been recently that Mithril had been finding clues to indicate the possibility of a dangerous opposing organization, and though at the moment there was no conclusive evidence, everyone seemed to be more on edge at the thought. It had been earlier in the week that they had received orders to investigate a suspicious facility that had been located in the northern region of Afghanistan by their spy satellite.

Though Tessa accepted that the Tuatha De Danaan would have to venture into unfamiliar waters in order to properly complete the investigation, it left her with an odd feeling, almost similar to a child attending a new school in a different country for the first time. Setting down the report from Melissa, she leaned over to take up the one handed in from Sergeant Weber, grimacing at the thought that she would have to re-read the same gruesome facts all over again. Along with their investigation, they had been asked to pick up Mr. Kalinin, who had been scouted some months before, and who coincidentally had raided the same facility they needed to check out alongside the Afghani Mujahedeen.

Tessa was counting her lucky stars that she hadn't been the one to investigate the grounds. Her fingers twitching as she came upon the section of both reports that scared her the most, she took a deep breath before continuing. All of those poor victims, every one of them tortured to death as their very lives were choked out of them by various chemicals and supposed treatments. It never ceased to surprise and horrify her when it came to the desperate measures some organizations used to try locating potential Whispered, not to mention the poor souls forced to accept the various drug cocktails that so often sacrificed the person's sanity for the ability to use a functioning Lambda Driver. Hearing a knock at the conference room door, Tessa took a deep breath, hoping to dispel the heavy feelings of sadness and nausea. Calling for her guests to enter, she slipped the reports back into their files as the three entered to stand in front of the table.

"Sergeant Major Melissa Mao, Sergeant Kurz Weber returning from recon and recruit pick up ma'am."

"Yes good work Sergeant Major, Sergeant. At ease." As soon as Tessa received their simultaneous responses, she turned her attention to the gentleman they were escorting. "May I assume that you are Mr. Andrei Kalinin?"

"Affirmative ma'am. I am grateful that the offer that had been presented to me had not expired, I look forward to assisting you in any way I am able."

"I'd like to welcome you to the Tuatha De Danaan, home of the West Pacific Fleet Mr. Kalinin. I'm glad to hear that you have finally decided to accept our offer as well. Though I must thank you in advance for your patience, this area is not normally handled by the West Pacific Fleet, and our knowledge of this part of the world is somewhat limited. I sincerely hope you won't mind assisting us a bit."

"Not at all Madam Captain."

"I thank you, Mr. Kalinin. You will be escorted to the living quarters by Sergeant Major Mao and Sergeant Weber. For now, you will be sharing a bunk with Corporal Yan, and should you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask him for assistance. We will begin collaborating our Intel regarding the current mission in the morning once you have had a chance to rest."

"Yes ma'am."

"Before you go though, there is one thing I would like to ask of you Mr. Kalinin; if you don't mind."

"Of course Madam Captain, what can I do for you?"

"During your raid on the facility with the Mujahedeen, were you able to locate any survivors?"

Switching between checking the map and scanning the distant horizon through his binoculars, Kashim continued analyzing their current position, his face void of anything except complete focus on his task. The weather conditions had not been as favorable as he had predicted, and due to the sheer amount of snow that seemed to keep following, their course was going to have to be altered. If they kept having to find shelter at the first signs of another snow storm, Kaname might get home around two more weeks from then. Those results were immediately considered unsatisfactory by his standards, no matter how much he may have enjoyed those few precious moments of peace in her arms the previous night.

Another blush spread across his cheeks, one that had nothing to do with the cold wind rushing around them, and he found his concentration wavering. Before last night he would have sworn that nothing on the very face of the earth could ever reduce him to forget their immediate surroundings. However, before last night, he'd also never understood how the older men could be so excited to return from a day of patrols or survive just one more fight, thus being granted the reward of spending the night in the arms of their women. True he was not naive to basic human relations, but he never would have dreamed that he'd ever experience anything close to what he had the night before. Though he never claimed to have an advanced vocabulary, what he had felt the night before, the feelings she had evoked in him, it had been nothing short of incredible.

The memory of her slender fingers weaving themselves through the hair at the back of his neck, the heat that had risen anywhere they touched, the taste of her on his lips, it all caused a powerful shiver to run down his spine, one he hoped would be attributed to the cold rather than the lewd thoughts going through his mind. No one had ever touched him like that before, and he couldn't help feeling the desire to be with her like that again. It was all deliciously addicting. With a gulp and light shake of his head, he tried focusing on the expansive distance beyond the lenses. Just as he was getting his mind back on track, the lenses went inexplicably dark, though he could probably guess why without looking. Setting the binoculars down over the map, a pair of slender arms wove themselves around his shoulders, his blush returning as he felt her slightly rub her cheek against his, a light smirk present as he felt her warmth pressed against his back. "Chidori, this is very counter-productive."

One arm came up to give him a light punch on his other cheek, turning him enough for her to plant a quick kiss before unwinding herself from him and standing. "Sourpuss..."

"I am not a sourpuss Chidori, I-" His words must have fallen on deaf ears. Reaching back to check his hair, he brought his hand back to find pieces of snow. Had she just...thrown a snowball at him? Turning, before he was able to locate her exact position, another snowball came at him, impacting right between his eyes. He could only guess at the expression on his face as her laughter filled the air, the sound of snow crunching below her feet growing as she came closer to him.

"I really got you good didn't I?"

"It appears your aim is quite impressive, yes." His eyes still closed against the cold still present on his face, she kneeled and started gently wiping it away for him, as he seemed perfectly fine just letting it melt using his body heat rather than remove it himself. Though if he had, she would have to admit that she would have just thrown another, if only in an attempt to have a bit of fun. It had been a while since she had felt so free, and Kaname wanted to use her newfound freedom in a far more enjoyable fashion than looking over boring maps and sitting in the snow. Giggling as she wiped a bit of snow out of the unruly bangs that hung over his face, she smirked at the compliment.

"Well thank you. I was hoping my pitching hadn't dulled since being held captive, and it looks like my experiment was a success."

"Allah help me if you ever decide to learn to shoot then." Her hand stopped as he spoke, almost literally frozen in shock by what he had said. Staring at him as he shook the last of the snow from his head, Kaname's eyes were wide as her mind processed his words. Finally clearing the last of the frozen flakes from his face, his head tilted to the side as he wondered at her expression. "Something wrong Chidori?"

"Did...did you just joke with me?"

"Did I? I was merely stating a fact. You do have excellent aim." His complete loss for what had just happened had her laughing at him all over again, her head bowed as her shoulders shook. A glance every few seconds showed her that he was still very much confused, but it only served to fuel her laughter. "I'm afraid I will never know why it is you find me so amusing Chidori."

Her laughter still persisting, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, inciting a deep blush from him as she held on tightly. "Uh...Ch-Chidori?"

"Don't go worrying your pretty little head about it, Sousuke." If the sound of her voice so close to his ear hadn't been enough, the fact that she had used his name, his real name, his blush suddenly went a few shades darker.

"I-I am not pretty Chidori. Men are not supposed to be-"All thought process stopped when her head turned, a soft kiss pressed against his lips. If things progressed as they did, the blush would forever be on his face, and that was not exactly something that struck fear into the hearts of one's enemies. "Uh..."

"Oh come on already." Standing, she stood and wiped the snow from her pants and tunic before offering her hand to help him up. Taking her offered hand, they both shouldered their bags as they finished brushing the snow from their clothes. Once ready, Kaname reached to take hold of his hand again, a bit taken back when his instant reaction had seemed to be to twitch away from her. A bit hurt by the attitude he was displaying, her worries began getting the better of her, and she could already feel the faint sting of tears behind her eyes. Perhaps he regretted his actions from the night before? Had she been too bold, advancing so shamelessly in her effort to discover if their truly was something between them besides mere friendship? Had she made him violate serious religious laws with her newfound attraction to him? A small whimper escaped before she could silence it, and she quickly turned when it caught his attention, despite the wind flowing around them.

"Chidori?"

"I'm sorry, Sou-Kashim..."

"Sorry? I don't understand, what would you have to be sorry for?" A few tears escaped down her cheeks before she could wipe them away, and she couldn't believe she had been so stupid! Despite being so capable in battle, he was still an innocent in many ways, and she had taken advantage of him! Her shoulders shook as she tried to keep her voice steady, hoping that the tunic would hide it from him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Kashim. I promise it won't happen again. I've just been doing what I wanted, and I never gave thought to how it would affect you at all..."

"Uh, Chidori, what are you-"

"Last night you idiot! And just now too! I've ruined you and I'm ashamed for it. I don't have the right to call you my friend..."

"Ruined? Me?" He was still thoroughly confused, and not for the first time in his life, he admitted to himself that no force in heaven or on earth could ever help him to understand women. Hearing her sniffle as she turned, he finally saw the tears as they fell down her pinked cheeks, and her normally clear chocolate eyes clouded with distress.

"Didn't you tell me that Muslims should be pure for their partners? What would any future bride of yours think if she found out that a foreigner practically raped you?" Understanding finally dawned on him as her hands came up to cover her face when she finished. That's what this was all about? She was crying over the prospect that no woman would want him after having shared some level of physical intimacy?

He was having a hard time believing that this was truly what was causing her to cry like she was, and if it hadn't been for the tears that made it down her face, he would have almost had the urge to laugh about it. Seeing her wipe away the fresh tears, his mind stumbled over what he could possibly say to make her understand that she really had nothing to worry about. It wasn't as if any of the women he knew from the Mujahedeen were interested in him, at least not past finding ways for their brothers and husbands to beat him for whatever it was they could.

Words never being his forte, he decided that as usual, actions could help him where words failed. Quickly walking back over to her, he took hold of her shoulders and lifted his other hand to hold her face in place. "Ka-"

All her thoughts stopped the moment she felt him press his lips firmly against her own, her eyes going wide in surprise as she was captured in his hold. Still feeling regretful at her earlier forwardness, she tried to back out of his arms, but the hand at her chin held fast, only granting her a moments breath before once again feeling the warmth of his lips. The hand at her shoulder made its way down, coming to rest at the small of her back and drawing her closer to him, as the hand that held her chin moved to gently massage the back of her neck.

Kaname felt the same fire from the night before building again, the excitement crawled its way along every vein, and had her feeling both weak and strong at the same time. No other had ever made her feel so alive before, and as she rested her hands on his chest, she finally gave into the powerful sensations only he seemed to inspire in her with nothing but a simple kiss. Finally in need of air, they broke apart, heated breaths mingling as they were swept away in the blustering cold. Barely apart, every breath gave them light brushes of almost kisses, both of them still very much gripped in the near euphoria they had tasted the night before. "Had I not wanted last night to happen Kaname..."

His words only served to fuel the flames within, and she found herself arching her back in search of more contact with him, her hands tightening their hold on his tunic in an effort to aid her now useless legs. Knowing how dangerous he could be, that the same hands on her now could kill her if he so wished, Kaname wondered at herself when that knowledge only served to hasten her heartbeat in a way that had nothing to do with fear. Her mind blanked again when she felt him dip his head to graze his teeth along her neck, and the ever tightening grip on his tunic finally had her knuckles turning white. "You already know how most of those I travel with feel about me, what self respecting man would sink so low as to introduce his daughter to a heretic outsider?"

The last of his words held a faint growl, and he punctuated the end of his question by allowing his teeth to sink into the soft flesh, his lips and tongue soothing the bite when he was done. The action drew a long low moan from Kaname's throat, the vibrations exciting him as well. He could only guess at whether or not she could still form any coherent thoughts now, and as it was, he was starting to have a bit of trouble doing that himself. The faint scent and taste of her skin was becoming intoxicating, and if he didn't stop soon, he might not be able to at all. Coming slowly back to her face, lightly dragging his lips across her cheek, he spoke once more, his voice coming out rough against her smooth skin.

"I have no bride waiting for me, but if I ever did, I'd like to think that she wouldn't care what happened in my past," the hand at the back of her neck moved back around, brushing by her cheek before settling over one of the small hands tightly holding onto his tunic. "Nor the blood that still coats my hands, or how many had to die for me to live long enough to meet her." Finally, she was able to meet his gaze, and he was glad to see he wasn't the only one in danger of slipping. The rising heat between them was becoming difficult to fight, and it was taking all his willpower to not give into the gnawing desire to taste her again. "We're changing our course. We'll head to the southwest down the ridge of the mountain. Then we will follow the river until we get closer to the city."

With a sleepy nod, he dipped his head for only a moment, taking in the sweet scent of her skin before pulling away to untangle themselves from each other. Taking hold of her hand, he turned them in their new direction, carefully leading her down the snow covered ridge. The cold helping both of them to ground themselves back in some semblance of reality, as they began their descent into the burning valley below.

The small room was dark except for the glow coming off the screen of his newly 'acquired' laptop. The cellular phone then man had also 'volunteered' to lend him lay open on the desk, the loud and rather unhappy voice of his employer still coming from it as he relaxingly chewed his bubblegum, trying not to let any of his chuckles at the other man's frustration be heard. "Do you hear me you piece of shit! What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Don't go getting you panties in a bunch." Gauron leaned forward, coming closer to the light of the small phone as the other voice rose angrily over the line once more. "I didn't have a whole lot of options at the time. Didn't help that she was gone when I broke out too you know."

"Don't you dare patronize me you filthy mange-ridden ogre!"

"Now, now, that's not a very nice thing to say boss man." Though rattling the boy's feathers once and a while was always entertaining, it certainly didn't mean he liked him. Whispered or not, the boy was more than your average tantalizing kill, if only for his attitude than anything else. Of course, considering his looks, he could also fetch a decent price on the sex slave market. Someone out there had to have a fetish for girly looking boys, as they sure as hell had enough looking for girls. He would fetch a high price for his pretty little face if nothing else.

"Maybe I should have put Kalium on the job instead! At least he produces obvious results instead of this round-about shit you call planning!" His chewing slowed, a deadly glare illuminated by the limited digital glow of the electronics on the table in front of him. Gauron was just about done with this conversation, and his patience was running low at the liberties the young man like taking when speaking to anyone not proven to be another Whispered. Leaning forward, he eyed the small phone in front of him, as if doing so would allow him to reach though and strangle the life out of the young man on the other side.

"You listen to me you spoiled little bitch, and you listen well. Just because I don't have the Chidori girl with me right now doesn't mean I won't soon. There's not a whole lot of places to go here, and for a girl on the run, her options are almost dry from the start." He spat his gum at the nearest wall, the treat having lost its flavor, and therefore was now useless. "You could always put that nut-job Kalium on her case, but somehow I doubt he would know this land or the one protecting her as well as I do, and that could cause more setbacks than you really want right now."

A faint sound came from the phone, and Gauron almost wanted to laugh at the boy's failed attempt at growling at him in frustration. With a hard sigh, the voice continued, and it was obvious that he was far beyond frustrated at the moment. "Then what would you suggest? We need her if we're ever going to finish the project, and we need her alive."

"You just leave that to me. If I know Kashim, he'll be keeping her alive until a time that I can get my hands on her. Can't promise that she'll be unharmed though. Accidents do happen after all..."

"You lay one hand on her and I swear I'll-"

"I told you to calm the fuck down pretty boy. I'll get you your precious little Chidori, it's just gonna take time."

"How much time?"

"If I'm right, then I should have her in another few days."

"If? How the hell am I supposed to trust an if?"

"Because it's the only one you have right now." The silence dragged on, the only sounds heard in the small room was the electrical hum, and the echo of life beyond the window. Finally, another loud sigh came from the other end of the phone line, a sure sign that Gauron had exactly what he wanted.

"...fine. Just see to it that you don't fail. Remember, you can always be replaced." The smirk that spread on his face glowed eerily in the low light, his face the very picture of devils on the purgatory door.

"Pleasure doing business with you." With a quiet beep, the line was disconnected, the small display screen going dark as the call ended. Standing, he turned and looked through the blinds hanging in front of the window to the streets below. People bustled this way and that, cart and shop owners tried to entice possible customers to sample their wares, and the mechanical sounds of the occasional vehicles rumbled through the dust covered streets. It might be fun to take up another side job once the girl had been handed back to his employers. And, of course, after he'd had his fun with Kashim the way he wanted. If things went his way, Kashim's death would be drawn out, allowing him to witness that look in his eyes again before the life slowly drained from them. Turning back away from the window, the idea sent a cold and chilling laughter through the quiet room. "Come back to me quickly Kashim, I can't wait to see you again..."

Kaname sighed in contentment as she stretched her arms over her head, the wind at the lower altitude blew significantly softer, not to mention a lot warmer than she had been used to the last two days. Even the slightly warmer weather was a welcome feeling, though she had to admit that when she finally did get back home, she would be missing the snow until winter came around. There was always a sort of quiet tranquility in the winter that the other seasons lacked.

Glancing over to where her companion had started setting up camp, she felt the heat rise in her face at the memory of earlier that morning. Unlike the night before, he'd been so sudden and, forceful almost. Not that she was complaining though, it was a nice change to know that he had it in him to take further charge of a situation and not just follow other people's orders all the time. In a way, Kaname almost wondered if she should have been angry with the rougher and more demanding treatment, but instead, something inside her had been more excited that way.

It had been one of the most hurtful things she'd ever heard when she had learned that almost all the boys in school had agreed that while she was beautiful, that there was really no way any of them would date her. A lesser girl would have spent the rest of her day locked in the girls' room crying her eyes out about how no one would give her a chance, and whining about how cruel people were. Kaname had simply held her head high the rest of the day, and had spent the night watching a few of her favorite movies when she got home. Nothing quite made her feel better about things unless it was followed by John Rambo giving that asshole of a wannabe sheriff exactly what he deserved. As much as she advocated that people should try everything to avoid violence, sometimes people just had it coming. "Chidori?"

"Hm? Uh, what is it?" Hopefully he wouldn't notice that she had been staring at him the last few minutes. She wasn't sure if the blush would ever leave her face if he actually had noticed.

"The tent is finished if you'd like to change for the night. I have to get started on the fire pit so we can have something to eat."

"Uh, yeah sure. That sounds good." Picking up her bag, Kaname carefully made her way into the newly pitched tent. The one they had with them wasn't nearly as large as the one they'd been staying in while at the facility, but it was still large enough to hold maybe four to five people comfortably. Pulling off the long sleeved shirt and loose scrub pants she'd worn that day, she slipped back into the simple dress she'd found in one of the rooms back at the facility. As soon as the fabric fell into place, another blush came across her face at the memory of what had happened in this dress. The way the fabric fell around her shoulders, the feel of his hot breath against her bare shoulder, and the feel of the fabric bunching up around her hips as his grip tightened.

Kaname had to wrap her arms around her a moment, hopefully it would help her to feel more in control against the rush that had suddenly filled her at the memory of his strong hands. "Chidori?"

"Eh! Uh, yeah what is it?"

"I've finished putting together the fire pit, and I took the liberty of getting the fire started as well." A deep blush rushed to her cheeks at the thoughts of earlier that day. The feeling of being so wonderfully trapped in his embrace as he, in his own way, told her not to worry about what others thought of them for indulging as they had.

"Fire's started alright..." Kaname's hands slapped over her mouth quickly, hopefully quick enough to hide the near moan that had been in her voice when she had spoken.

"What was that Chidori? I couldn't hear you over the wind."

"I-uh, I just said that, I-I'd look through the bags and see if I can find something besides just soup for us once I've changed." 'Whew! Now that was close!'

"Roger. I'm going to survey the surrounding area and make sure we didn't settle too close to any animal dens."

"Good idea. But be careful about it! The last thing we need is to have you so wrapped up in bandages that you can't tell where we're headed!" Satisfied with her small lecture, Kaname wrapped up the clothes she'd changed out of and put them into one of her bag's compartments. Stuffing the last of them into the small zipped area, Kaname did a double take at the secured weather proof sheet when she heard a low chuckle from behind it.

"Yes Chidori, I'll be careful. I'll return in a few minutes."

"Okay, be safe." Slipping her shoes back on, she exited the tent and started digging through the bags to find something that would make a more sufficient dinner. Soup was all well and good, but sometimes something with a little more substance was needed in order to feel stronger for strenuous activities. Kaname sat up sharply at that, her mind immediately going into the gutter after thoughts of other strenuous activities had rushed to the forefront of her mind. "No! No, no, no! Bad Kaname! Must think pure thoughts!"

Grabbing one of the first things she found, she lifted her hand to find she now held a can of cream of mushroom soup. All at once her shoulders slumped and she could swear that a part of her psyche was laughing at the irony. "Just great, I ask for something with more substance, and I get cream of mushroom soup. Wonderful..."

With a sigh she dug through the bags once more, searching out the small cooking pot they had packed so she could start heating up the soup. After everything was set up and all that was left was to wait for it to heat up, Kaname took a better look at their surroundings. Not as much snow was on the ground where they were, and a lot more of the dark brown of the dirt showed through. It was still beautiful, but it was amazing what a simple change in altitude would do. It seemed as if there was no end to all the snow earlier that morning, and now it seemed as scarce as water in the desert. A cool enough breeze was still blowing, and Kaname could only stand it for so long before fetching the tunic she had been given from the tent.

"Chidori?"

"Yeah, I'm in here," she replied quickly, not wanting him to get worried if she took too long answering. The tunic wrapped tightly around her neck and shoulders, she came back out to find him standing with four dead creature hanging from his hands. "What on earth...?"

"They're Altai Weasels Chidori. I came across them not far from here and thought we could do with some fresh meat instead of the dried jerky." A smirk came to his face as Kaname's scrunched up in disgust at the thought of eating the small creatures.

"Well, we do need the meat, but,...weasels?"

"I promise it won't be that bad. I'll skin them quickly and we'll have them on a makeshift spit over the fire in no time." Another grimace passed over her face, inciting a light chuckle from him. "I'll make sure you don't see me skinning them, would that be satisfactory?"

"Yeah, I guess. Just don't let me see any heads or eyes while it's cooking though or I might lose my appetite." With another small smirk to himself, he made quick work of the small mammals, and they were roasting over the fire before Kaname could argue any further. After a while, he tested them, and handed them over to Kaname to chop up and add to the soup. She had an amusing look of disgust on her face as she did, mostly from knowing that the creature she was chopping up for sustenance was more often than not, sold as pets on the street corners.

When the time finally came to eat, Kaname carefully sniffed at the bowl that now held a portion of the mushroom soup and chunks of weasel meat. Glancing across the fire, she almost glared at Kashim as he sat and ate his meal without even blinking. "Something wrong Chidori?"

"It amazes me that you can eat this so calmly when just under an hour ago the creatures in our food were out looking for their dinner." Sipping up the last of the soup from his bowl, het set it down in front of him before responding.

"This is actually much better than some of the many other things I have eaten Chidori. More often than not, I was never given first, second, or even a third chance at meals when I was traveling with the Mujahedeen. There have been times when I went without food, simply because it was a choice between taking what was left, or allowing one of the younger children to have a little more." The spoon stopped before it made it to her mouth, the surprise written clearly across her delicate features.

"You...you really did that? You would go without food like that?"

"Yes. In fact, the only reason I have eaten as I have the past few days, is because Majid ordered that you be taken care of as an honored guest among us." Lowering her hands, the half empty bowl came to rest at her knees, still amazed that he had been treated in such ways for so long. Suddenly having lost her appetite, she moved the bowl aside and stood to sit closer to him, her expression tense as she tried in vain to hide the fact that she wanted to cry at the newfound knowledge. "Chidori?"

"Would it be okay to change the subject? There was something I wanted to ask you."

"Of course, what is it?"

"Well, since we have a ways to go until we get to the city, I'd like it if you could teach me some Russian on the way." That he was surprised at her request would have been an understatement. Still, she was right, it would be good if they could pass the time with something more than just stories from life and literature. Reaching over to the side of the fire pit, he picked up a stick and began drawing words and symbols in the dirt. A few minutes later, a small collection of basic words and phrases now stared back at them.

"I've written them in a way that I believe will be simple enough for you to make the transition Chidori." Pointing to the first of the Japanese symbols, he continued, pointing out their English and then Russian counterpart. "The Japanese symbol is 'Yama', it's English meaning is 'Mountain', and the Russian word is 'Gora'." As he continued, Kaname occasionally asked a question on pronunciation, or if she had been confused by the usage, but otherwise, he had to admit, she was n incredibly intelligent girl. Erasing the set he had made and starting another, Kaname reached out and swept the small area clean, confusing him for a moment until she took hold of the stick and tried writing everything that he had just told her out.

"So, 'Yama' is 'Gora', 'On'nanoko' is 'Devushka', and-"

"Wait a second, you got those symbols wrong." A blush rushed to her face as his hand came to rest over hers, guiding the stick in the shallow dirt, hopefully allowing her to get a feel for how the Cyrillic alphabet was drawn. She was acutely aware of just how close he was now, and though she wanted to pay attention to what he was saying, feeling the heat between them through the tunic was starting to cloud her thoughts.

"S-So that symbol belongs her instead?"

"Yes, you accidentally moved it to the end instead of third from the beginning." It was difficult to think the longer he was that close. Having leaned over, while his right hand had draped over hers to guide their makeshift pencil, his other had come around and rested on her waist. The heat radiated from her back, and when she felt the hand on her waist drift up her arm, Kaname couldn't help but shiver as pleasant tingles followed the trail his fingers left. "You're not listening Chidori."

His voice was rough and hot in her ear, and she felt herself tilting her head, her body growing hot as his breath played over the soft skin. Her eyes drifted closed for a minute, lazily turning to face him when the heat on her neck had disappeared. Kaname's head rolled back to rest on his shoulder, allowing herself to revel in the pleasant heat as he spoke foreign words to her. A small moan escaped her as she felt his lips dragging across her neck, the word for the body part, 'Shyeya', coming out roughly before pulling away and coming back to her ear. "Sousuke..."

All at once he too was trapped in the same fires that had started to consume her, the stick finally falling from their hand and allowing their fingers to intertwine. It was amazing what hearing his name on her lips did to him, and said like that, he was willing do anything just to hear it one more time. She finally twisted far enough to meet his eyes, mere centimeters apart with every heated breath shortly warmed the other's lips before being carried away in the ever cooling wind. Just staring at each other for a moment, her mind finally cleared enough to speak, though that was actually the last thing she wanted to do. "We shouldn't really be doing this..."

"If you tell me to stop, I will honor your request Chidori." Losing herself in pools of molten silver, Kaname's free hand came up to brush under his jaw, lightly dragging her pointer finger down the side of his throat and enjoying feel of his rapid pulse. Stopping at the collar to his shirts, her hand took hold and drew him back in, her lips brushing against his with every word.

"What is it that you really want...Sousuke?" It wasn't a matter of what he wanted really, but in the end she had asked a redundant question. Taking from their forgotten lesson of learning the basics of the Russian language, he decided to be difficult, and reply in that language instead.

"Ya hochu potselovatʹ tebya yeshche raz." Pulling on his shirt collar, he got his wish as their lips crashed together, the flames that had been building inside growing higher as she turned to fully face him and allow his arms to wrap tightly around her as she settled into his lap once more.


	10. Changing Stripes

Melissa sighed, letting her eyes close as she took a minute to rest her head in her hands. She never slept very well before missions, and the combination of witnessing the horrors hidden in the facility, as well as the long meeting she had just gotten out of was leaving her feeling drained. She had a feeling that she was going to need a long hot bath and a stiff drink before the muscles in her neck were going to fully relax. Rubbing her eyes, she ran a hand through her short black hair and re-opened the document on her laptop. She had just found her place again when a hot cup of coffee was set down next to her. "Hey Sis, you keep this up and you'll be Grey before you know it."

Glaring across the table, she paused only long enough to take a long drink of the welcome caffeine. "I don't think I need advice from someone who never even does his reports unless I beat it out of him." With a chuckle, Kurz put up his hands in mock surrender, though still glad that the table was between them so she couldn't demonstrate.

"Come on now, is that any way to treat the incredibly nice and attractive guy who just treated you to coffee?"

"And what if I happen to like falling asleep on my keyboard?"

"Well, I always thought you were a real QWERTY girl Mel." Melissa's shoulders slumped, her hand coming up fast to smack her forehead at the ridiculous play on words. It seemed that Kurz agreed with her actions though, as he had barely finished speaking the terrible joke before laughing about the absurdity of it.

"Ugh! Really Kurz, that was lame, even for you."

"Meh, can't be a winner all the time." Glancing down at the files she had spread out under her laptop, he was easily able to guess what might have her bothered. The facility had been awful, and if he had to put their findings into a certain category, he'd have to say the atmosphere alone had felt like something out of the movie 'Event Horizon'. Leaning his head on his hand, he took another sip from his own cup before trying to assist Melissa think through whatever had her missing so much sleep. "Still up with that stuff from before huh?"

"Hn? Oh, yeah. Tessa wanted McAllen and I to work out the possible routes that Chidori girl could be taking to get from the facility to Kabul."

"Any luck so far?"

"Well, considering the satellite photos of the recent weather they've been having, so far we've narrowed it down to three possible routes. The problem now, is trying to decipher which one she may be on so we can pick her up, and just where on them she might be."

"Wouldn't it be easier if we just planted a few agents in the city and wait it out? That Kalinin guy said that one of their best was taking her there, so if that guy's as good as he implies then wouldn't that be a better use of our resources?"

"Normally you'd be right, and actually I had asked McAllen and Tessa that same thing. Apparently since we still don't know the entire scope of the enemy organization's influence and possible networks, it would end up being more detrimental to try doing that. So instead Tessa wants us to try finding them before they get there so we can make a clean pick up." Leaning back in his chair, Kurz stretched his arms over his head before folding them across his chest. Melissa really did look far too tired to be working so hard at the moment, but he was well aware that, if anything, she was never one to slack off on the job. Sure she was a literal riot at parties and always had a lot of fun with the guys when she could, but she was a working girl through and through. She just tended to forget her own health if she thought she had something really important to accomplish.

"Well if she's traveling with a guerrilla, you can bet it won't be easy to find them until they're out in the open." Melissa made a sound of acknowledgment before sipping at her coffee again. "Maybe you should get some rest Mel."

"I know. But if I can just narrow it down a little more then I know-"

"You'll feel better about it. I know, but staying up all night trying to figure out strategies and then denying yourself rest isn't the way to get shit done. You know that." With a sigh, Melissa sat back in her chair, her arms falling limply to her side as she closed her eyes against the slight glare of the overhead lights. She had been trying to concentrate for the last three hours on what the most likely course of action would be, but so far she found her mind took her in nothing but circles. Perhaps Kurz was right this time; she had not slept well before being deployed to the facility, and had not felt like sleeping after returning. 'Maybe I'm just trying to avoid nightmares or something,' she thought as she sat back up, folding her laptop shut and beginning to collect the satellite photos and report papers. "That's my girl."

"Say that again and I'll kill you." Smirking back at her from across the table, Melissa finished setting all the papers into a labeled manila folder and set it on her laptop. Downing the last of the hot coffee from her cup, she gathered up her things and headed toward the entrance to the mess hall, turning to look back at her subordinate over her shoulder in a suggestive gesture. "What, not gonna walk me to my bunk tonight?"

Melissa tried to contain her laughter at hearing the sounds of loud scuffles and scrapes as Kurz attempted to leap over the table and catch up to her as she slowly sauntered down the hallway. When he finally caught up to her, he placed a hand on her shoulder, his grin only widening with every step. "Really babe, how could you ever think I would refuse such a beautiful lady an escort to her room?"

"Momentary insanity?"

"Well at least I'm only crazy for you sweetheart."

"Yeah, you're nuts all right."

"I do have a pair, yes."

"Don't make me hit you."

"Love you too Mel."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Slowly stirring, the light smell of smoke and the feel of the cool air on his neck made him twitch. Opening his eyes, he was relieved to find that it wasn't another nightmare, and immediately the muscles in his shoulders relaxed again. As his mind and body began to wake, he was greeted by the still sleeping face of Kaname. Still huddled under the blanket, she had fallen asleep in his arms, and was currently using his uninjured arm as a pillow. If he had awoken any other way, he would have been tempted to brush off the night's events as nothing but pure fantasy. Yet here she was, still warm against him, and a faint smile on her lips as she continued to dream peacefully.

He would be lying to himself if he said it wasn't still a bit embarrassing and extremely unfamiliar to be such a way with her, but with every insecurity or uncertainty he had, she somehow knew exactly what to say to make sure he knew that he wasn't the one forcing anything on her. After the miscommunication they'd had earlier the day before, he'd tried to make sure she understood that though society may have dictated how they all behave, he did not personally believe in any such restrictions. Even now, he couldn't find anything wrong with experiencing what they had together, though he had to admit, he didn't think he ever would participate in such things.

He wasn't someone a man of good standing would want to introduce his daughter to, if anything because he had once attempted to take the life of their devoted leader. No, even that still wasn't completely right. He was just too different. Having been practically raised in a KGB camp for training young assassins, he had no real grasp of what any kind of a normal life might be like. It clung to him like a second skin, and all of those he traveled with could see it, they could feel that he wasn't like them, regardless if he fought on their side or not. But Kaname, when she looked at him, it was almost like none of that mattered to her. She'd seen his killing nature, the ferocity and precision with which he could take so many lives, and still, when he had been hurt, she had still braved the horrid sight and cared for him.

The sheer amount of feelings she stirred in him, and the fact that he had felt them so powerfully, most of them he couldn't even begin to describe, but they were all things he found himself wanting to feel more of. He honestly wasn't sure when it was the night before that his shirts had been removed, or when it was that they had moved into the tent and under that blanket. Though, the longer he watched her, slowly running his fingers through her endless cerulean locks, the less he realized he gave a damn about how it had happened, and just that it had. Brushing aside some stray hair that had fallen onto her face, he carefully leaned down, his lips lightly dragging across her cheek. "Chidori..."

She stirred a moment, a soft groan coming from her before defiantly snuggling further under the blanket and burying her face in his chest. "Chidori, it's time to wake up..."

"Mmrf,...five more minutes..." Wrapping her arms lazily around him, she pulled herself closer, reveling in the warmth and comfort of the arms of her protector. Kaname was more than happy to spend all morning right where she was, safe and warm, and knowing that while she was so close she could smell his scent, that he wouldn't let anything come anywhere near her. Just as she was beginning to relax again, soothed by the fingers gently weaving through her hair, her eyes shot open. At first she was surprised, her body tensing quickly and her heartbeat speeding up, guaranteeing that she was indeed awake now if she hadn't been before. Despite her wish that he not notice, she had apparently twitched when her muscles had tensed, alerting her companion that all was not as right as it had been. "Chidori?"

"Uh...yeah what?"

"Is something wrong? You tensed up."

"...n-no! Nothing's wrong, I-I just-"

"I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No, no, no, no! Y-you didn't hurt me at all! I-It's...it's just..."

"What is it?"

"Well...um...I..."

"Yes?"

"I...I feel something...between us..." He froze at her words, caught off guard at the sudden confession. Of course, ha had felt something different in himself since meeting her, but up until the moment she had pressed timid lips to his, he wasn't sure if he should even bother with acknowledging them. It sounded ridiculous to describe it as fear, but how else could one describe the rush of unfamiliar emotions for someone they just met, and experiencing such a powerful attraction to? Even when she had yet to awaken and had been held captive under the thick glass of her strange prison, just the sight of her had yielded more emotions than he could even properly classify. They still frightened him, as they all had the ability to sway his thoughts at unknown times, though if he was to be honest with himself, a large and slowly growing part of him didn't really care that she could make him forget everything.

Something inside him had begun slowly changing the longer he was with her. A sort of peacefulness grew in him whenever she smiled at him, worry filled him when he thought she might be in danger, fury blazed at those who tried to forcefully take that which was only hers to give, and whole myriads of others that he had no names for. Not to mention the physical responses as well. Countless opposing soldiers had died trying to kill and torture him, force him to give into their will and submit, yet she was able to bring him to his knees with only a kiss, and the feel of her sweet lips left him almost begging for more. Still a bit unsure of himself, the arm that had laid across her slowly wrapped around her frame, bringing her closer to him. "I...I've never been a man of words Chidori, but...well, I never really knew what to say to adequately describe the few emotions I do have."

"Eh, um, I mean, I-I guess that makes sense..."

"Maybe...if you could tell me what you feel...perhaps I can figure it out myself?"

"Um,...well I'm not much better...but,...ah..."

"Please...Kaname?"

"I-I think...it's...an erection..."

"..." All at once he felt his face grow hot, and he could swear that for a few moments his heart had stopped. A thin line of nervous sweat began to gather on his brow, and as if the situation couldn't have gotten any more embarrassing, when she shifted slightly in his hold, he also became very aware of what was 'between' them. Quickly, yet surprisingly gentle, he removed his arm and pushed her far enough away so that he could stand and leave the tent, all the while mumbling loudly something about hunting for some more meat or rekindling the fire.

Sitting up, Kaname stared at the entrance to the tent, still flapping in the breeze from his hasty exit. She wanted to go after him, explain that she knew it hadn't been entirely his fault and that she was just surprised. Pushing the urge down, she crawled over to her backpack, pulling out a fresh pair of jeans and a scrub top to change into. She would give him a minute or two to collect himself first. From the way he responded to her, this was probably the first time he had ever been so close to anyone, let alone the opposite sex. Given the many circumstances, Kaname was actually surprised at herself as well. With any other guy, she would have been mortified, if not extremely angry and nervous that they might try to take advantage of the situation. But with him, she had actually felt a little excited, not to mention a little bit flattered. Kashim, no, Sousuke wasn't your typical guy at all, and as far as women and relationships were concerned, he was still such an innocent that it was adorable really.

Coming out once dressed, Kaname found him poking a stick at the fire pit, most likely trying to rekindle the flame that had been left to cinder late last night. Coming up to stand behind him, she noticed that he had put his shirts back on, though by the way the wind was blowing, he hadn't buttoned them yet. Guessing that he must still be very embarrassed about what had happened, Kaname waited a moment to see if he would say anything, though not at all surprised when he remained silent. She knew he was aware she was behind him. She'd made no effort to be careful of how much noise she had made on the way over, and he was already more than capable of hearing even faint scratches from possible enemies. Taking a moment to simply watch as his hair blew in the wind, Kaname spoke up to get his attention. "Sousuke."

She frowned when she saw him twitch at his name, possibly awaiting her to yell at him, or berate him for his body's unconscious actions. Kneeling carefully behind him, she gently gathered up his long mane in her hands, gently running her fingers through it . Once all the tangles had been brushed out as well as she could get, she moved up higher, combing the strands back from his face and lightly running her nails along his scalp. His shoulders that had been so tensed when she had spoken began to slowly fall, the back of his neck now visible as she held part of his hair away from where she worked. Gathering it all again, she brought his hair to rest over his shoulder, gently pulling down the neck of his shirts to lightly kiss the back of his neck.

Splaying her hands on either side of his neck, she lightly eased off the unfastened shirts, her hands gently smoothing over broad shoulders and strong arms as she carefully removed the garments. With every inch of skin freshly exposed, she placed another kiss, from down along his spine back up to a dip in the shoulder, even on occasion rising up on her knees to bend over and sneak a kiss in along the collarbone. At a loss, Kashim could only allow her to do whatever it was she was doing. His eyes closed and his head listed back as her tender ministrations let loose all at once a calm in knowing that everything was all right, and a raging fire he feared to free.

Satisfied that he was no longer wary, Kaname tugged carefully on a shoulder to turn him, while maneuvering herself to his side. Once the faced each other, she smiled at the bewildered expression on his face, reaching out soft hands to cup his face, "It's all right, Sousuke." Her voice was pitched low and soothing, and his expression seemed even more confused, wondering at how she could have such a profound effect on him. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead, paying no mind to the long strands of hair that were in the way, though she giggled softly when her actions caused his hair to work against him, stabbing him in the eye. She brushed aside the cruel bangs, carefully running thumbs over the pressure points around the eye and feeling any remaining tension drain immediately from his body.

A kiss at the corner of one eye, a kiss at the other, and Kaname pulled back though left her hands just where they were on either side of his face. "I know it's not your fault. You can't control it. And, to be honest," her cheeks tinted pink, but he was denied the chance to see her face get any redder as she brought herself closer to him once again, pressing lips flush against his. He closed his eyes, and though he'd stiffened again when she had brought up the embarrassing subject once more, he found himself again relaxed, and perhaps just a bit exhausted at the flip-flopping emotions he'd experienced in the barely ten minutes of being awake. His own hands came up to cradle her face, and he had completely forgotten that she had begun a new sentence until she pulled back ever so slightly, enough to speak though he could still feel every movement of her lips against his own. "To be honest," her breath came heavy from the short and heated kiss, and they each opened their eyes only just enough to see one another's expressions, "it kind of excites me."

There was no preparing him for what she did next, never having expected something of the sort to occur. Her hand settled itself over the area in question, and she smirked at the shocked expression on his face, though she was in uncharted territory as well. Ducking her head to the side, she kissed his neck, slid down his chest, and raised her other hand to his shoulder, pushing him back until he lay against the ground. Smiling up at him, she kissed her way along his stomach, down until she came to where his pants sat. She straddled his legs and sat up, tossing her head so that her hair would go back behind her shoulders, and she worked to unbutton his pants. "Chidori..."

"Hush. Let me do this for you," she smiled shyly at him just as she finished undoing his pants, "I want to." What could he say to that? Well, had there been any words, he forgot them the moment she pulled his clothes away to free the morning's main conversation topic. Still a quite a bit embarrassed, he turned his head to the side, his hands flexing at his sides nervously as his every nerve stood on end. Ducking her head so that her bangs hid her expression and biting her lip nervously, she began to wonder if what she was doing was a good idea after all. Oh, it had nothing to do with possible consequences and so on, she was more than ready and willing to deal with the emotional tangle they had already found themselves in. No, what had her worried was her lack of experience in the field. Not that he had anything to compare it to, she knew, but even so, what if she messed up?

It was much too late for those thoughts, she was there already, and the last thing she wanted was to somehow make him feel guilty again through no fault of his own! Mind made up, she experimentally traced her fingertips up along the length, pulling back when it seemed to leap at her touch. Eyes crinkling with amusement, she started again, this time from the top, and skimmed down to the base, her touch more firm than before. Feeling bolder, she wrapped her hand around and pumped experimentally. The groan was gratifying to hear, and she began to gain more confidence. Tilting her head, examining her handful, she couldn't help but to feel curious. She never seen one in person before, and certainly never handled one, and while what she was doing was for the man it belonged to, she just could not restrain herself from experimenting with it.

Raising her hand along the length once more, she squeezed it at the tip gently, biting back a grin at the sound he made, and she dutifully brought her hand down once more. Up again, and she lightly pressed her thumb along it for the journey down, loosening the hold her thumb had though slightly tightening her overall grip as she brought it up once more. Her thumb trailed over the tip, and she made a face as it came away with a sticky wetness, though she didn't falter in her hand's journey. She spun her hand along, loosely, careful of any trailing skin, not wanting to tug, as she sort-of wiped off what her thumb had found. Up and down, squeezing here and there, sometimes up to cover the head, despite the evidence that he was enjoying himself to be found there. Frowning, she wondered if there was more she could do, and watching him under her as she finally found a rhythm that seemed to work for them both, she reached up with her free hand, skimming fingernails along his skin and smiling as he shuddered beneath her.

Despite the cool air rushing around them, his rapid pulse had his skin feeling as hot as it would under the midday sun. Everything was simply the most confusing mixture of feelings, most of which he was sure had to have been too contradictory to be true. He felt strong and weak at the same time, his breath was ragged and heart beating fast, yet he was strangely relaxed. Every motion she played on him had his muscles quivering and flexing, and his fingers dug into the earth beside him in an effort to grab hold of something, anything in his struggle to stay still beneath her. It seemed to be a losing battle though, as every time she seemed to pull away, his back and neck arched up toward her, needing to feel more of the sweet torture.

Leaning back, she let her hand continue down along his leg, as far as she reasonably could, and then back again along the inside. When her hand came up between his thighs, just below where her other hand diligently worked, she was somewhat shocked at the reaction. He gasped and bucked his hips, his head tilting back as he moaned long and loud in what seemed to be an approving word. Kaname smiled and mentally shrugged, figuring if it was so favorable a reaction, then why not again. The second wasn't near so strong, not now that his body had gotten a taste for it and half-expected the return, but even so, it didn't mean he wasn't enjoying it. Careful with her nails, not wanting to bite into the skin, she turned her hand this way and that, giving him the sensations he seemed to enjoy.

She yelped when he sat up abruptly, wrapping his arms around her, and her hands faltered before he whispered encouragement in her ear. Awkwardly resuming, she found herself hoping that it would be over soon, and vowing to do more arm strengthening exercises as she had never realized just how weak her arms could be. Lips found hers, and she sighed against his mouth, whimpering slightly when he fell back against the ground. She made a move to follow him, but the feel of what was in her hands gave her pause and she glanced down in time to see his release. Blushing, she slowed her pace, bracing herself with her once-again free arm. When it seemed he was done, she pulled away slowly and glanced around as she shook out her hand, looking for something he could clean off with.

Nearly oblivious to everything else around him, most likely still riding the euphoric high that usually followed such activities, Kaname took it upon herself to wipe him off and redo the buttons on his pants. His breathing was still evening out when she finished, and she moved up to lightly kiss his parted lips, grateful that he had enough control over his breathing to pause momentarily. Coming around, she gently lifted his head and set it in her lap, stroking his hair as he recovered from the sensory overload. "Feeling any better?" Smiling softly when she felt the slight movement of him nodding, she had to contain the urge to giggle at the claw marks he'd left in the dirt on either side of him.

The wind picked up slightly, the cool air helping him to find some semblance of reality again. His own body had never felt so heavy to him before now, and he could feel himself slipping back into a light sleep as his rapid heartbeat slowed. His eyelids beginning to droop, he turned in her lap to wrap his arms around her waist, his head still comfortably resting on her thighs. Quietly, almost in a tired whisper, he managed to find just enough of his voice to ask her, "Why...Chidori?"

"Hm?" She wasn't sure she had even heard him at first, his words only registering a few moments after he had spoken them. "Why what, Sousuke?"

"Why...why would someone like you ...ever care for something like me?"

Her hands faltered a moment in their journey through his long, wild strands, and she was never so glad that he couldn't see her expression fall from how he was laying across her lap. To hear him talk about himself in such a way, the tears had already started coming down her cheeks before she was able to wipe them away. More and more she was discovering who he really was, and buried deep beneath the warrior who had had to live such a dangerous and chaotic life had been one of the most beautiful hearts she'd ever known. Despite no one showing him any true kindness, never telling him how much he was appreciated for anything, he was still such a wonderful and generous soul. Kaname could already feel her heart breaking at the knowledge that after she had gone, he would have to go back to a life where no one would even really bother with him beyond his skills.

He must have drifted off back to sleep for the time being, as when she sniffled and wiped the tears from her chin, he remained still, arms still wrapped around her waist as his head lay across her thighs. Swallowing to clear her throat of the sorrow that had choked her, she gently continued weaving her fingers through his hair, amazed at how innocent he looked as he slept. The tears still trailing down her face, Kaname could only whisper the only answer that her heart would let her give, regardless of what consequences would follow.

"Because...I...I love you...Sousuke..."


	11. Mirage

The sun seemed to beat down on them as they made their way across the desert, the heat alone making the air thick and difficult to breathe. Having lived in a few places, Kaname was more than prepared for a desert to be hot, but the heat surrounding her was almost smothering, despite the fact that the wind was blowing so much. If anything she felt like she was walking through a high-powered convection oven. Holding on tightly to her tunic's hood in an effort to reduce her exposure to the blazing sun, she kept her eyes squinted, trying to lower the bright light and keep her eyes free of the loose sand blowing around them. Though she wanted so badly to drop all of the gear on her back and toss the heavy tunic to be buried forever under the hot sand, she knew it was for the best, and tried to focus on following as closely as she could to her companion.

'Companion...' the thought was confusing, and it didn't really fit him as well as it once had. She honestly couldn't say for sure what they were anymore, and the more she tried to think on it, the more the line seemed to blur. It was incredible how quickly they had seemed to bond, especially when ever since her mother had passed she had been such a carefully guarded person. Kaname could only guess at how many walls Kashim had set up around that beautiful heart of his, since a life like his required one to possess ruthless precision and a comfort with death that she hoped never to have. For some reason though, from the first moment they'd met, it was as if those walls had never even been there. It was as if from that first meeting, each knew they didn't have to bother with guarding themselves against the other. In all honesty, she wasn't even sure what to call him anymore.

He had been introduced to her as Kashim, a young man born and raised to fight and die for those he protected and the land they wished to cleanse. But since knowing him, and learning of a name that matched his face, he seemed more like the 'Sousuke' she had later learned of rather than the 'Kashim' she had first met. She was only glad that by the time he had woken up again after the events earlier that morning, that her tears had long since dried and her throat clear of the sadness it had been choked with. Staring intently at his back as she followed, Kaname tripped over a small rocky outcropping, the bag on her back hitting the back of her head when she hit the ground. "Chidori! Chidori, are you alright?"

"Ugh...y-yeah, I'll be fine." Though glad for the assistance of helping her to stand back up, apparently she had done so too fast. Her head began to swim, and her vision became wavy for a moment. "Uh...I think I need to sit back down a minute..."

Helping her to sit back down on the ground, Kashim took out one of the canteens from the side of his bag, unscrewing the top and handing it to her. It was a good possibility that she was experiencing some heat exhaustion, and the last thing he wanted to have happen was allow her to become sick from dehydration, most especially while they were on their way to a river. From the position the sun had been in when they had finally begun moving, they would probably reach the river sometime just before sunset. At least there was the promise that by the time they made it that they could both wash off the dirt from their traveling so far. Not to mention he still had some under his nails from the deep grooves they had dug from...

Just what would he call what had happened that morning anyway? While there were certainly no regrets about it, part of him had to wonder if maybe she had only done that because she had felt obligated somehow. It was a crazy thought, but in a way, it still made sense. He had agreed to keep watch over her, and protect her while they journeyed closer to those who would have the means to take her back to where she belonged. Was it possible that she only went through with such an act because she felt she had to repay him for what he was doing for her? Kalinin had once told him of a strange occurrence called 'Florence Nightingale Syndrome', though the difference was that he was most definitely not a medical professional, and from the way she had thrown that first shoe at his head, Kaname Chidori was not exactly vulnerable. She had said that she wanted to, that it...excited her for him to have those reactions. Never mind that it hadn't been planned, but that he had let his guard down enough for it to happen at all was certainly something to take notice of.

Of course it went without saying that he had grown up completely restricted to the young men's section of the camps, and though no real lines were drawn to show this, there was a very specific layout for those who were and were not married. The young and unmarried men were always kept as far away as possible from the few available women, and the rules were very strict about them conversing with each other if there was any interaction. And it had only been as recent as five years ago that had been the last big mistake he had made concerning his place within the group, and most especially that such bodily reactions, whether conscious or not, were not allowed from him in any way.

Coming back to the situation at hand, he double checked their surroundings, as well as the placement of the sun to help determine just how much farther it would be to the river. Unfortunately, it looked as though they still had around another four or five hours worth of walking ahead of them, and that was if weather conditions remained favorable. While still strong, the wind wasn't very bad at the moment, but if it turned into a sand storm, they would have to stop and wait it out. Turning back to where Kaname sat, he was glad to notice that her face wasn't as flushed as it had been earlier. "Are you feeling any better Chidori? Do you want to try standing again?"

"Yeah, just help me up slowly though." Re-securing the canteen to the side of his backpack, he leaned over, taking one of her hands and using his other to support her back as she slowly stood. Heat exhaustion could take many forms, and though each were never very pleasant, at least she had only gotten slightly dizzy. Helping her to steady on her feet, her hood fell back, being swept off by the wind and allowing her long hair to fall free of its confines.

She really was very beautiful. Her face still flushed from the heat, deep brown eyes shining so brightly in the sunlight, long silken locks flowing around her like the deep blue rivers. He never heard if she had said she was fine or not, being so thoroughly distracted by the vision in front of him. Letting go of her hand and back he reached to help get her hair back under control, coiling on itself and placing it under the back of her neck. He wasn't even sure how it happened, though when she finally pulled back from the soft kiss, he could almost swear her flush had gotten slightly deeper. Arms still around her shoulders, he pulled over the hood to hide her from the harsh rays of the sun, taking a moment to enjoy being close to her. "What was that for Chidori?"

"Mm, I guess I just wanted to..." Still a bit unprepared for it, he didn't fight it when her arms wound themselves around his neck and brought him back down to meet her lips. His hands settled on her hips as he reveled in the sweet honey of her kisses, his grip tightening when she ran her tongue along his bottom lip. The uncertainty that had been felt before seemed like only a faded memory, now only able to feel the smooth friction of her lips, a slowly building feeling began to settle deep in his belly, and left him hoping that this time she wouldn't notice the increasing external effects. Bringing up a hand to hold onto the back of her hair, he gently eased her face away from his, though only enough to lean his forehead against hers.

"Chidori..."

"Yeah?"

"We should really keep moving, or..."

"Or what?"

"...There might be another issue similar to earlier this morning..." He really shouldn't have been surprised at the devious grin that came to her face at his statement, but then again, he never claimed to understand women in the first place. She leaned down to lightly nip at the skin under his jaw, her hips coming up to press against his and sending his heart rate skyrocketing.

"And...what if that doesn't bother me? If I wouldn't mind doing that again?" Even the light pressure from her action had him fiercely wishing they weren't in the middle of a hostile desert just then. It certainly wasn't helping that her hand had found their way under his hair and was gently massaging the tense muscles there as well, and part of him had to wonder if perhaps he had been killed in action. There was no possible way that someone such as him could have lived and experienced such physical and mental sensations. With his life it just wasn't possible, or at least up until he'd met her it wasn't.

Somehow, he was able to will his eyes open, only for his vision to be filled with the ethereal being still clinging to him. The blinding sunlight shining through her hair making her skin appear to glow, Kaname Chidori couldn't be of this earth when beauty seemed to shine throughout her very being. Feeling her pull on his neck to bring him back, his hands slid under her backpack to rest on her lower back, almost losing all rational thought when he felt her bring up a leg to wrap around his. His eyes shot open, and before things got even more out of control, he moved to hold her away from him, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly to hold her in place a moment. "Huriya..."

"Hm? What was that?" He smirked as he realized that she wouldn't understand the meaning of the foreign word, thankful that what he had felt just then had come out in a way that she wouldn't be able to comprehend at the moment. Neither of them had made any promises, nor had they truly understood why it was that things had begun to happen between them, but the word had slipped through his defenses before he could even think about blocking it. It was true though, undeniably so. Still, just because he knew the meaning behind the word, it didn't mean he had to tell her. His smirk grew when he was able to meet her gaze again, the flush still lingering on her cheeks making her look far more delicate than she actually was.

"Hm, nothing. It's not important."

"How do you know? What if it would have been important to me?"

"Some things are better kept as secrets Chidori..."

"Oh, come on and tell me already!" This was a side of her he'd never seen before, though considering their immediate circumstances, it was probably better if it happened out in the middle of nowhere rather than in the middle of Kabul, where her actions would be viewed as highly disrespectful, appalling even. He was on the verge of a full blown smile at her somewhat rude insistence, never really having been in a situation that allowed such a beautiful and fiery woman to challenge him so openly. Fatin had tried to entice him in such ways, but she had merely been abusing the power behind her father's whip. None of the power she believed she had actually came from her, not like the woman before him. Her eyes were blazing with mischief in the sunlight, long cerulean locks breaking free from her hood and flowing wildly behind her once again as she stood tall and proud before him, unafraid or restrained by social rules, and staring directly in his eyes. Breaking the strict social rules of this land had never felt so amazing as it did when he was with her.

Leaning in closer, a hand came up to hold her face in place, his face taking on a strange expression as he returned her bold gaze. "...make me."

She had seen many things in those molten silver eyes since their first meeting, but nothing could compare to the raw lust that lay right beneath the surface. Kaname had wondered for a moment if she had made him angry when she had talked back in such a forceful way, but now it seemed that her reaction had excited the beast within him. It was a far more primal emotion than she had ever seen displayed so openly, and she wondered at herself for a moment when his expression only served to excite her as well. Neither dared to break the heated lock they had on each other's eyes, caught up in an internal war for who would be the first to give in to the building heat that had nothing to do with their immediate surroundings.

Both backpacks hit the dirt as their lips crashed together, the sudden movement throwing off their balance, sending them down a small dune and out of the worst of the wind. When their tumble came to a halt, Kaname lay sprawled on top of Kashim. She let out a breathless laugh before hands tangled in the mass of hair at the nape of her neck, drawing her face in close and kissing her heatedly. Everything they did was frantic in some way. Their hands fighting over one another's bodies in a desperate bid for contact and control, grabbing here, rubbing there, sliding under clothes and back over again. They fought to breathe as they kissed each other with a rapidly mounting passion, breaking for air so frequently that when they moved to rejoin each time, they found their lips wandering, kissing cheeks, nose, neck, whatever happened to be in front of them at the time.

It was just as well that they had rolled out of the worst of the weather. It also put them out of the worst of the sun, and though his shoulder felt as though on fire with pain, he was far more concentrated on the fiery woman above him instead. His arm protested the abuse and he shoved the feeling aside, having more than enough practice at ignoring pain to keep it from interrupting the wonderful sensations. He was dragged into a sitting position by a pair of hands fisted in his clothes and pulling him up, and then the shirts were removed, tugged over his head without a care. Before she could toss them aside, he snatched the clothing from her hands, grinning at the incredulous look she gave him. "Tell me what you said, now!"

Twisting, he set the shirts out below him, giving some protection from the abrasive sand underneath. His arm wound around her waist and he flipped them over, setting her down on his clothing. "And I told you to make me!" They resumed their kissing, their touching, the exploring hands sending thrills through one another. Gasping as Kashim's mouth latched onto her throat, Kaname skimmed her nails along his back and felt him shiver against him. His hands worked their way under the hem of her top and his callused fingertips slid over the taut muscles of her stomach. She arched against him, whispering encouragement he could barely hear over the wind above their heads.

Experimentally, he started sliding her shirt up further, and her lifting her body to make it easier on him was all the incentive he needed. It wasn't much longer until they were both topless, their clothes re-purposed as makeshift blankets. The sensations were amazing, and neither was sure they could hold out any longer. Taking matters into her own hands, Kaname reached down and started work on unfastening his pants. Even as he moved to kick them off his legs, he hesitated, looking down at her in concern though his body hummed with a need to continue to the natural end of their current acts, "Are you sure? This is-."

"I'm sure." Her tone had an air of finality to it and her expression left no room for argument. She knew exactly what they were doing, and she was more than okay with it. She started fumbling with her own pants, sighing with relief when his hands took over, and she lifted her hips so he could slide the rest of her clothing along her long legs and set them aside. He didn't come up to cover her quick enough for her liking, and she reached out and gripped a fistful of hair to tug him forward. He collapsed on top of her, dropping an arm to catch him from landing all her weight against her. She didn't seem to mind at all, in fact, the exact opposite. He caught sight of a wicked grin before she kissed him fiercely.

Only when he started kissing her back with as much passion as she gave him did she remove her tight grip on his hair. Her hands trailed down his back, slid up his sides, and worked their way between his legs for the second time that day. His throat caught and he gasped, then bent his head to trail teeth along her jaw, down her neck, and across her collarbone. She laughed lightly and he wondered at what amused her so. He didn't wonder enough, however, to ask, instead deciding it was about time he returned the favor. His hands explored her bare chest fervently and he pulled back just enough to worship her body with his eyes. One of his hands abandoned its position to slide down, skimming along the lines her well-toned stomach had, which directed him along the way further south.

The first feel of his fingers between her own legs made her whole body jump in excitement. She moaned and tilted her head back. Exposing her throat again so enticingly, Kashim couldn't help but to take the open invitation. His mouth descended on her and he could feel the rumbling of a pleasured noise below his lips. His fingers eased along a sticky wetness that made him tremble in anticipation. While she appreciated the care he seemed to be taking with her body, Kaname was growing impatient as her nerves cried out for more complete contact. She twisted her hand between them to seize his, and she urged him along, gasping as fingers slid easily inside with the aid her own body gave.

As her hand resumed its position to pump once again, his own started work on her, sliding in then out, twisting as he tried to find a comfortable position, and he swallowed as the pressure on his fingers first loosened as she became accustomed, and tightened in pleasure. The sensation drove him wild and from the way she begged for more beneath him, it was having a similar effect on her. He withdrew his hand and she took her own away, gripping tightly onto his shoulder as she prepared herself. He settled on top of her as she lifted her legs up to rest atop his arms in the bend of his elbows.

Kashim had learned enough of what was expected of him now, having been told once before by the only two men in his life who cared enough to think he'd even have this chance. He eased himself inside, giving her some time to adjust at first as he fought to come down, not willing to let his body drive it to a rather immediate end. Once he had caught his own breath, he completely filled her in one stroke, and they gasped in unison. Kashim bent his head to rest upon her shoulder and they both took the time to accustom themselves to the feeling. It was Kaname who was ready first, twisting below him and begging him to move. He licked his lips and pulled back enough so that he could see her face, and nearly lost it. The look she was giving him was full of impatience, and he grinned widely at the expression which only caused her scowl to deepen.

He started moving, unsure at first, and gaining confidence as her anger dissipated into a far more agreeable countenance and she began murmuring encouragement. Her own hips worked below him and drove all coherent thought from his mind. They moved together, clumsy at first, fighting to find a rhythm that matched. Kaname found that using his hair as a lead worked wonders, and she grabbed it again to yank him down for a kiss, gasping breathlessly against his mouth as he filled her again and again. All the amazing and new sensations were too much for them, and her grip on his hair tightened, her head tilted back, and her entire body quivered below him in ecstasy. He wasn't far behind her, dropping his head against hers and breathing harshly against her cheek.

Several minutes passed as they lay there, chests heaving as they filled spent lungs. Finally, Kashim eased himself off with a groan, flopping over beside her. Cracking her eyes open, Kaname tilted her head to look at him, silently laughing as she continued to fight for air. She smiled brilliantly at him, rolling over until she could throw an arm across him. He looked down at her in complete fascination, and let out a deep, shuddering breath that calmed his body. Working his arm trapped by her, he withdrew it and wrapped her up in it, pulling her close. She snuggled against him as her own body calmed enough to resume regular breathing, and she looked down to where her chest pressed firmly against his side and grinned.

She heard him cough nervously and shift, and she looked up curiously, tilting her head only barely enough so she could see his face. He seemed as though he wanted to ask something but was embarrassed, and she was about to work it out of him when he brought it up on his own, "How, ah, how was it? Are you in any pain?"

Blinking in confusion at first, wondering how he could ask when it seemed obvious enough to her just how good it was, when she realized what he was really asking. Laughing, she rolled over, causing his arm to stretch out beneath her, trapped under her back. She shook her head, blowing absent-mindedly at the bangs that filled her vision. "No, I'm fine. No pain."

"Oh," he blushed and glanced away, and seemed to be fighting with something else.

Having an idea what it was he might be thinking, she was ready to nip that one right away before he started thinking what had happened might not have been quite so special to her as it was to him. She sat up and leaned over him, her hair setting up a curtain around them, blocking out their surroundings. "I've always been active, ever since I was little. When I was seven, I had a, ah, unfortunate accident on my bike. My parents brought me to the hospital because I was bleeding, mm, between my legs, you know? Found out then that I had lost some of my 'innocence,'" she laughed light-heartedly and bent down to kiss him on the nose as he looked at her in bewilderment.

Giggling at his expression, she pressed another, gentle kiss to his lips, and settled on top of him, folding her hands over his chest. "What I'm getting at, Sousuke, is that that accident is why this was mostly pain-free. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't uncomfortable at first, but there's none of that to worry about. Okay?" Understanding finally dawning on him, he smiled with relief, tension leaving his body, and he nodded to her. She looked at him with a wicked gleam in her eye, lifting herself up. "Good. Now, why don't we have a little make-up, hm?"

As she settled to straddle him, his hands settled on her hips, and he was all too willing to agree with her idea, grinning as she kissed him with a heated passion rivaling even that of the earlier ones that had brought them to where they were.


	12. Lurking in Shadow

Rolling breathlessly off of his lover, Kashim only had enough time to register that he was once again on his back before soft hands took hold of his face, turning it so that she could kiss him a few more times before giving into exhaustion. Glancing over to her from the corner of his eye, her eyes half closed as her breasts moving slightly atop her chest with heavy breaths, he had to resist the urge to pinch himself, curious if it would prove to himself that the last twelve hours had been nothing but some heavenly dream. 'Five times...' he mused to himself, a lazy yet satisfied smirk coming to his face. His amazement would likely never subside at the knowledge of what they had done. Five times she had riled his ardor and responded fiercely with her own. Five times he'd been graced with the sight of her nude form, her skin glistening in a light sweat and flushed as blood pounded in her veins. And five times he could have sworn that he had died. Never in his entire existence had he ever even dared to dream that he would taste such unbelievable pleasures, and he was sure that if he had to go back to the near lifeless existence he'd had to live before, it may very well drive him to madness.

He could still feel the memory of her nails as she dragged them along his skin, caught in the heat of passion yet being careful of the injuries that still had yet to fully heal. The feel of her thighs as they wrapped tightly around his waist, her body soft and pliant as she welcomed all of his advances, encouraging more contact as she whispered orders of what she wanted and needed him to do. The feel of soft skin under his teeth, harsh breaths against his face, and deep moans in his ear. His breathing finally slowing, he felt her shift next to him, rolling over so she could throw an arm across his chest, her fingers lightly tracing the defined muscles of his abs. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hn. I'm not really sure exactly." Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, a light chuckle came through when her hand trailed lower below his waist. That she could possibly have any more energy at the moment was amusing, if not a bit frightening. If she tried to get any more out of him at the moment, then she will have successfully achieved what so many had failed at. Though he had to admit, if he was ever given a choice on how he would prefer to die, that would definitely be the most pleasant way to go about it. "Can you really find no better use for me?"

"Who's to say you even have a better use?" He was really starting to enjoy her more defiant and spunky attitudes that had been coming out lately. Though he was thoroughly enjoying himself, he was glad that she would be able to hide her true self once they made it to the city. The last thing either of them needed was for her to walk around and making a scene when she was unable to tell what it was she would have done to offend anyone. He wasn't even sure if the city was all that safe anyway. There was no way of telling if that facility had any back-up or networks of any kind hidden there, and knowing that, once reaching their destination both of them would need to tread extremely lightly.

"I am unsure if that was meant as a compliment or an insult." Sporting a devious grin, Kaname shifted until she straddled his hips, leaning down for a light kiss before simply staring back into satiated silver eyes.

"Some things are better kept as secrets, Sousuke Sagara." He should have seen that coming. He had said those very same words to her the day before, right before all of this started. That she was taking such enjoyment out of using his words against him, especially since she now understood exactly what saying his name in such a way did to him. The power she radiated as she sat atop him, the energy that seemed to crackle around her, the sheer beauty that glowed from within, he was rapidly becoming helpless to it all. She was one new delicious addiction after another. Smirking back at her as he lifted himself up by his arms, sitting upright for the first time in the last hour, he leaned in and bit harshly at the junction of her neck and shoulder.

"You, are a very devious woman...Kaname Chidori." Apparently her name on his lips had a similar affect as his. Her breath hitched a moment, her back arching as her arms went around his neck, hands fisting in his long hair as her head drifted back. Quickly lifting his arms, one wrapped around her waist, securing her against him as his other hand tightly grabbed hold of her hair, leaving her unable to move and baring her neck to him. Dragging his lips over her pulse, her chest heaved in excitement, whining lightly when he stopped. "However, I have ways of breaking rebellious spirits..."  
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Tessa looked about the dimmed conference room, the faces she knew so well, now illuminated only by the screen behind her. It had taken a lot of negotiating, but she had finally managed to convince the higher ups that the soldiers under her command deserved to know even the smallest fraction of why they were going to be risking so much for one subject. Taking a quick sip of water from the bottle she had brought with her, she moved to stand in front of the screen, making sure to be situated just to the left so that the majority could be easily seen. "First off, I'd like to thank all of you for your patience in regards to the lack of adequate intelligence with our recent missions. Fortunately, it has been decided by high command that due to the circumstances of this mission, I am to provide you with further information so that you may understand exactly why the situation is as serious as it is."

Taking hold of the remote, Tessa clicked open a photo of a young Japanese woman, probably no older than 16, her long cerulean hair blowing in the breeze as she happily walked with another girl who wore glasses and pigtails. Clearing her throat, Tessa took a second to put her words in order, making sure that any of the finer details that still had yet to be cleared would not raise any unnecessary questions. "I'd like to introduce you to Kaname Chidori. She was 16 years old, and attended Jindai Tokyo Municipal High School as a junior. She was also her class representative and Vice President of her school's student council."

"Ma'am?"

"Yes Corporal Yan?"

"You keep saying 'was'. Did something happen to this girl?" The sigh of regret she had wanted to hold in at the question she dreaded had managed to slip out. Thankfully, it had been quiet enough, and Tessa willed herself to continue.

"Unfortunately, something did Corporal. This picture was taken in mid February of last year, less than two weeks before the Tuatha de Danaan would have received orders that she was found to be on the list for possible terrorist abductions. We received the orders early the morning of April nineteenth, and three members of the SRT would have been dispatched the night of the twentieth and take station to keep an eye on her for a short time until those who targeted her made themselves known. Miss Chidori was last seen leaving her apartment on the morning of April twentieth. She never made it to school." Pausing for a moment, Tessa took a drink from her water bottle before continuing.

"With thanks from Mr. Kalinin, and the Intel he has so graciously provided us with, we now have a face to go with our enemy." Clicking the remote once more, a new window brought up Gauron's image. It wasn't a very good one, but something had always been better than nothing, and as it was, they had been working with nothing for far too long. "This is the man who kidnapped Kaname Chidori on the morning of April 20th last year. His real name is unknown, but among terrorist circles, he is called Gauron, or referred to as the Nine Dragons. From what we've learned, this man is incredibly dangerous, and may also be in league with a very powerful opposing organization, possibly the one we have been attempting to track down. Because of this, it is top priority that we extract Miss Chidori as soon as possible, and preferably before he has any access to his allies."

"Ma'am?"

"Yes Sergeant Weber?"

"Even if he has back-up, he still shouldn't be able to compete with our M9's right? So why would we need to worry so much?"

"Unfortunately, due to the information from Mr. Kalinin, it has been confirmed that he uses a next generation mech armed with a device known as the Lambda Driver." The confusion on her subordinates face was endearing, though it only continued to drive home the fact that the device in question should never have fallen into enemy hands. "Recently, you have all been undergoing a series of mental tests with a device known as a portable N.I.L.S. This device is used to measure how compatible a person is to successfully activate and operate a Lambda Driver for combat use. As always, I appreciate your constant efforts, but so far the reality is that if the subject does not reach certain critical levels in the brain, or has been treated with various drug cocktails, that it is almost impossible to use properly."

"So, that weird box-thing you've had us trying to get to react is like a false Lambda Driver system? Have any of us been able to do it yet?"

"I'm sorry Sergeant Major, but despite constant efforts, none of you have been able to properly activate it. However, it has nothing to do with your competencies as soldiers. This is a very complicated device that will only react when the circumstances are right, and you should know that neither myself, nor the higher ups blame any of you for not being able to do it."

"So then we just have to find this Chidori girl and snatch her out of the city before this Gauron guy gets hold of her? Captain I don't want to sound rude, but both sides are looking for a needle in a haystack."

"I know the situation seems grim, but we have two advantages in this. One is that whether she realizes it or not, Miss Chidori is looking for us, just as we are her. The other, is that apparently her companion has operated a Lambda Driver successfully in combat. Whether he is aware exactly of what he has accomplished we're not sure, but it promises that if Gauron is in the city, there is already someone who won't allow her to be taken by him again."  
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Looking carefully around the corner, Kashim's frown went deeper. The crowd was larger than expected for this late in the afternoon, and that was going to make moving about that much more difficult. Turning back behind the wall, he kneeled close to her and made sure Kaname had on her disguise properly. It was the only reassurance either of them would get until reaching an inn. In all reality they should have just pushed themselves to locate the American base as soon as they had arrived, but the exhaustion of constant traveling was beginning to wear on her, and he had decided to wait one final night so that she could rest properly in an actual bed.

Gently adjusting the charadi to make it appear as though she had always known how to wear it, his movements slowed when he caught the saddened look in her eyes. He didn't need to ask why though, he was also aware that after tomorrow, it was doubtful that they would ever see each other again. She was just a normal girl who had gotten caught up in all this. His life was far too violent to be able to walk away from so easily, no matter how much he may have wished to. Her eyes were all he could see now that the charadi was in place, and though it was necessary for her immediate safety, he could tell that he wasn't the only one who didn't like it. Over the last few days it had been a wonder to look back and see her long hair blowing so freely in the wind, and the happy expression on her face at knowing such freedoms once more. Even just as a simple disguise, covering up such beauty just didn't feel right at all.

Her eyes had already started watering as the knowledge that their time together was almost at its end, and if he could have, he was sure his would have looked the same. Careful not to mess it up too much, he lowered the part of her charadi that hid her face from the nose down, gently kissing her as a single tear slipped past her lashes and rolled down her cheek. "I know, Kaname."

"I could stay with you...I-I could-" Sniffling quietly, Kaname wiped at the wetness still on her face, her other hand shaking in its tight grip on her tunic.

"No." He hadn't been forceful, in all honesty he wasn't sure he could muster up the energy to be so, but it was a simple truth. It would be unfair of him to ask her to stay. He could never take away her chance to return to everything that had once made her so happy, even if that meant being with her for the rest of his days. In all respects, both of them knew this moment would come, but still, they had allowed themselves to be selfish, and give in to the strength of their attraction, finding much needed comfort and acceptance in a place that seemed to shun them both. "If you stayed, I know you would regret it. I could never do that to you."

"Then...come with me?" It was a tempting offer. A life, peaceful and happy, with her. It was an idea unlike any other he had dared to dream of, only believing that he would spend however much time he had left fighting, only to die at some soldiers hand during battle. But, to have a real life? To wake up each morning next to her, and knowing that he didn't have to fight for anything he didn't choose to? No. That was only a dream within a dream, and he had a job to do here. The tears broke free from her eyes, trailing down her face when he didn't answer her. She also knew he couldn't, but that didn't make it any easier. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... Sousuke."

"It is no one's fault Kaname. I don't blame you for anything, and I regret nothing that has happened between us."

"I know. Me too." Taking another moment to just be in the other's presence, an idea occurred to him. Perhaps there might be a way for him to see her again, however slim it seemed at the moment. Reaching in his pocket, he took hold of her free hand and held it with the palm face up, placing his only treasure on its surface. "What's this?"

"This is a piece of lapis I found when I first came here. For years it has been my only possession. I want you to hold onto it for me." Kaname looked between his face and the small gem in her hand, disbelief that he would really give up his only real possession, and that he would give it to her.

"But, how will I ever-"

"If you have this, I will always be with you. Even if you can't see me." The tears clearing from her face, Kaname felt another retort come through, though thankfully, it was enough to pick up the mood and remove most of the gloom that had settled around them.

"I think I may have accomplished that the other day actually..."

"Uh...ahem, y-yes well, ah..."

Leaning up for another kiss, she smirked at the blush that had come to his face at the mention of their joining in the desert. "Promise me, you won't ever change."

Closing her hand over the small gem, he leaned in close for one last kiss before readjusting her charadi and making sure it was in place properly. "I'll try."

Checking once more on the crowd behind the corner, they secured their backpacks and made their way out onto the street. From a distance, both of them looked like just another couple, possibly on their way to the market for the day or returning home early from afternoon mass. Kaname had to force herself to keep quiet when it seemed everyone was making an effort to bump into her shoulders, keeping in mind the rules that Kashim had told her that morning back at the camp. It was taking every effort to not put the rude man who had nearly knocked her over in his place by yelling at him, but she bit her tongue, continuing to follow behind Kashim and keeping her eyes trained on his back.

Dodging a small group of men as they sped by in their jeep, Kashim scanned the crowd for anyone that looked as if they were more than they should have been for this particular gathering of people. Everyone here looked as though they either had a family or was returning to one, so trying to see if anyone was out of place wouldn't be too difficult. Killers carried themselves differently than normal people. It was seen best in their eyes, but most of them, especially in this area, held themselves higher and tended to walk with more confidence. They knew what they had done, how simple it had been, and how easily it could be done again. Even if you were an expert at espionage, somehow real killers could always sense when they were near each other.

Managing to avoid possible conflict with a man who had thought Kaname had bumped into on purpose, they were finally able to locate a small inn just past the western outskirts of the city near the base of a small mountainous outcropping. It was nice enough, though it was obvious that not many foreigners ever stayed there, so a few normal amenities that Kaname may have been used to might not be provided. Easily booking a room for the night, both felt immediate relief as soon as the door was closed behind them. Both had been tired enough already, and with the added stress that neither was sure if the people who had taken Kaname had contacts within the city, the bed in the center of the room looked just about the closest thing to heaven Kaname had ever seen. A small smile came to Kashim's face when she tiredly wandered over to the bed and just about fell on top of it, a soft moan of satisfaction coming from her as she buried her face in the comforter. "Oh my god, I never thought I could miss a real bed so much."

Finally moving into the room, Kashim set down the heavy backpacks before pulling the curtains closed and turning on a small table lamp. Inspecting the room and bathroom, he made sure there was no way anyone could peep, as well as seeing just what the rooms had been stocked with. While it wasn't much, they at least had some soap and a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, so that much should make Kaname happy. Coming back out, he found she still hadn't moved from the portion of the bed she had fallen on, most likely falling asleep during his check of the room. Deciding to allow her a short nap, he took a small notepad and left her a note saying that he was going out to find some dinner and would be back in a short while, just in case she woke up after he had gone.

The silence of the room causing her to wake, Kaname glanced around, confused at first as to the whereabouts of her lover. Finding the note Sousuke had left near her hand on the bed, she stretched out on the comforter, her overworked muscles feeling slightly eased with the action. Laying still for a moment, Kaname wanted so badly to refuse any movement, but the call of the real bathroom with a shower was too much of a temptation. Sitting up, she gave her hair a sniff, recoiling at the scent and texture. Yeah, that shower would do her a world of good. Though, the more she thought about it, if she smelled that horrible and Sousuke still wanted to be near her, maybe she wasn't as bad as she made herself out to be. Shedding her clothes, Kaname made her way into the bathroom, brushing out the tangles in her hair before stepping under the hot water.

The small baths she had taken in the river during their travels had been nice enough, what with the incredible heat blowing through the desert, the cooler water was more than welcomed. Still, the feel of hot water running over her skin, relaxing her every nerve and muscle felt amazing. Turning to pick up the small bottle of shampoo, she worked it through her hair before rinsing it out, simply standing under the hot streams as it ran through her hair. The sound of flowing water filling the room, Kaname never heard the door as it slowly came open.

Still caught up in the feeling of the steaming water on her, the shadow moved closer, stopping once in front of the semi-clear shower curtain. A mad grin spreading on his face, the curtain was quickly pulled back, Kaname's eyes going wide with fear and shock. She tried moving out of his line of sight, her mind panicking and convincing her that if she could just make it to a place he couldn't see that she would be safe. He came at her quickly, allowing only a few precious seconds for Kaname to attempt a scream before his hand came down over her mouth. His other arm coming around her to trap her arms at her sides, he dragged her from the shower to lay on the floor. Kaname tried struggling in his hold, the water still on her skin making the attempt a little less futile, but still, his grip held fast. Tears came freely from her eyes as she looked up at him from the floor, her heart racing as he took out a syringe from the inside pocket of his coat and poked it into the skin of her neck.

Kaname felt all strength leave her body, the unknown medicine working quickly as her eyes drooped, and her once racing heart began to slow. At last his hand left her mouth, but she couldn't force herself to scream as she wanted. Finally, before the world disappeared into black, she heard his voice echo in the small room. "Nighty night, Kaname-chan..."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Making his way through the slowly thinning crowd, Kashim held the bags holding their dinner close to him, hoping to avoid drawing any undue attention should he be bumped and the contents go flying. He hoped he had chosen something Kaname would like, the small kabob stand he had found three blocks away had certainly looked edible enough. He was just hoping more than anything that she wasn't overly picky or had some sort of food allergy that she had yet to mention. Still, at the very least, despite their mutual exhaustion, it was going to be their last night together. It was definitely possible that neither would be able to see each other ever again after tomorrow, and he already felt a strange pain growing in his chest at the thought. It just wasn't fair.

Years of dedicated service, putting his life on the line for comrades that half of which would probably celebrate his passing if it happened, always thinking of himself second before anyone else. Just this once, this one and only time in his whole life, he wanted more than anything to be selfish and just be with her. But being selfish never accomplished anything fruitful, and he knew that if he asked, she would stay with him. She would regret that decision though. Even he knew that she was not meant for the life he lead, no matter how capable she seemed at times. His steps had slowed, the weight of his thoughts distracting him for a moment. Shaking his head to clear it of less than pleasant thoughts, he trekked up the stairs and turned down the hallway to where their room was located. As soon as he set foot on the correct floor, something seemed off for some reason, as if the air itself had shifted while he was gone.

His nerves instantly on edge, he carefully moved down the hall, eyes finally widening when he noticed the slight damage to the keyhole that had not been there before. Dropping the bag of food, he tried the door, finding it completely unlocked. The door lazily swung open, allowing him a second to kneel and take hold of the knife he kept on the inside of his bootstrap. The room was still dark, but this time it seemed eerily so. Moving quickly within the shadows, his adrenalin flowed the longer he went without locating Kaname. "Kaname?"

Complete silence answered him. Practically running around the room in a panic, he checked every nook and cranny he could think of that she might be, including the places she might have hid in if she had gotten scared. "Kaname! Kaname answer me!" As if on cue, he heard the sound of a phone ringing. The sound had stopped him cold, his thoughts confirming that his worst fears had come true. Turning to face the nightstand closest to the window, he noticed for the first time the black cellular phone that had been placed there, the green screen on the outside glowing in the relative darkness of the room. At once he wanted to smash the dammed electronic, as if doing so would erase what had happened and allow her to walk through the bathroom door, still wet from a shower or something. Picking it up, he willed his hand to stop shaking and steadied his voice. Whoever was on the other end of this phone knew exactly who they would be talking to, so normal greetings could be forgotten in lieu of more important things. Things like where the hell Kaname was. "Where. Is. She?"

"I'm so sorry Kashim, but you'll have to try your luck behind curtain number 2." Of course. All others who had raided the facility since then had been killed. All except one.

"Where is she Gauron! Tell me or I'll-"

"You'll do what exactly? I highly doubt that you're good enough to kill me with just your thoughts Kashim. You would have done so long ago if that were the case."

"Where is she! What have you done to her!"

"Calm down honey, I haven't done anything to our little angel. Although..."

"What?"

"I've seen your marks on her Kashim. Tell me, how does she taste? Or should I find out for myself?" He could taste the blood in his mouth from biting his cheek, using every effort in him to stop from growling in anger and frustration.

"If I find you've touched her..."

"Awww. Have you so little faith in me Kashim? I only have eyes for you."

"...I will not stop until every piece of you has been ripped from your very bones with my own two hands."

"Wonderful, so you're free tonight then. Well, as much as I do enjoy Kaname-chan's company, she's not being a very good conversationalist at the moment. An unfortunate side affect of having a sock stuffed in your mouth I suppose. Anyway, if you want her so badly, then you'll have to come and get her."

"Tell me where she is bastard!"

"We're going to take a midnight tour of the Ghazi Stadium. That gives you six hours to think up something special for me Kashim."

"Why are you always doing this! Why give me any advantage if I'm just going to kill you with it!"

"I told you Kashim. Killing you wouldn't be any fun if you weren't giving it everything you've got. I want to know I've killed you using everything I have in me so that the moment I do, that moment will be the most amazing moment it could possibly be." Gripping the edge of the comforter as hard as he could, he began wracking his brain for what he could do in the time Gauron had given him. "See you in six hours; I love you Kashim."

"Fuck you." Pushing down the button to disconnect, he felt himself getting twitchy. He had to move, any movement would do, but sitting still and thinking had never been his way. He had to be moving, especially now. Standing up, he paced the small sitting area near the large window, thin lines of light coming from behind the heavy fabrics edges. Stopping for a second, he pulled up the backpacks and emptied their contents on the bed. He still had more than enough ammunition for his AK, thanks to what Kaname had gathered after he had passed out from blood loss back when he had killed Afzal. Other than that though, he really only had his knife and kukri, and that wasn't going to be enough to take down Gauron at all.

The only reason he kept living, was because people constantly made the mistake of thinking that he was a normal terrorist. Kashim wouldn't take that for granted this time. Still, he had to be rational about this. Kaname was in Gauron's custody, and the chances of her staying alive were relatively high. He'd overheard at the facility that he had been sent to take her back to the people who were trying to experiment on her, and if she died, that would mean Gauron wouldn't receive payment. If anything else, Gauron was a businessman, and it wouldn't be able to collect if the package was dead, so Kaname had to be alive. The biggest hurdle was whether or not Gauron was working with potential allies.

With the addition of allies in the equation, things became much more complicated. Kashim had allies, but his were far more difficult to get in touch with. He could attempt to find a way to get a hold of Majid and have him send him one of those advanced A.S.s, but the time it would take to find a way to do that, let alone how long it would take for the unit to arrive, he couldn't bet everything on that. Majid had contacts within the city, and there were the few factions of resistance fighters located there, but trying to convince them that he was one of them would probably end up being more trouble than he could deal with. Scratch two options off the list.

Suddenly, with that thought, another came through. 'List...the paper Kalinin gave me...' Searching his pockets he finally found the scrap of paper he had been looking for. Studying it for a moment, he started punching in the numbers, faltering just before he entered in the last. What if the number was too old? What if the people Andrei had once been contacted by were no longer offering services? If they refused, he would be right back where he started. Kashim was more than sure that Gauron still had his A.S. with him. Gauron may be many things, but he wasn't a fool. A memory of Kaname's smiling face went by his mind, and it was just enough to make his finger push the last digit in the sequence. His mouth went dry when he heard it start to ring, his other hand closing into a fist as he tried to make sure he didn't sound anything else but pure calm. Finally, the sound of the call being received echoed on the line, and the sleepy voice of a woman came over the phone. "Hm...Hello?"

"..."

"Hello? Someone there or can I go back to sleep?"

"I-I am a comrade of Andrei Kalinin. I-"

"Hm? Comrade? W-wait a sec,... you know Kalinin? Who are you?" His mind stopped at that question. He hadn't contemplated it for a while, and while he was probably thinking a lot deeper about it than the woman meant for him to, it was still a tough question to answer. Just...who was he anymore? For the last nine years he had been Kashim, fighting to the best of his abilities for the country his leader cherished, and against the Russians who had taken him away from everything he might have known. Kashim was a man with nothing, and therefore, had nothing to lose. But now, he had spent the last couple of days learning how to feel again, spending all his time with a wonderful young woman, even giving everything of himself to her. Kashim would never have gotten so close to anyone, he couldn't afford to when any battle could be his last. Flashes of recent memories flew by his mind's eye, contrasting to the memories he had kept only for the purpose of learning from them. Hearing the voice through the phone again, his heart gave him the answer his mind could only hint at. "Hey, come on who are you already?"

"I...my name is Sousuke Sagara. I have been escorting a young woman named Kaname Chidori to the city of Kabul to seek assistance in returning her to her homeland. She has been captured, and I need allies to take her back." From the other side, he could hear her faint gasp, holding his breath for a second and hoping that this woman could be the connection he needed. When she spoke again, he felt his spirits lift from the gloom they had settled in.

"We've been hoping we'd hear from you, Mr. Sagara."


	13. Eye of the Tiger

The wind whipped harshly around him as he stood on the stone's edge, the city that had once been a possibility of hope, now aided in concealing his most hated enemy. Standing so still that one might have mistaken him for a statue, hardened silver eyes scanned the buildings in the valley below him. Breaking the stillness he had stood in for nearly twenty minutes, he turned away from the view, glancing down at the borrowed watch now strapped to his wrist. It was almost time. The darkness that had settled after the sun had set had helped him to put everything together, his connection to Kalinin acting as the only way he would be able to come into this as prepared as he was.

The two that had met him up here four hours ago, Ms. Mao and her subordinate, the man she called Weber; they seemed strange, but after explaining to him what plan of action they had, it made him feel a little better. They would be doing what they could with locating Chidori, since it wasn't very likely he would be able to search after this battle, not with the possibility that this could kill him. Only one life mattered to him, and once they knew her location, everywhere else didn't matter. Mao and Weber had left to take up position outside the stadium's main entrance, and once they had confirmation that the battle had started, they would begin their search, using the battle to cover any noise that might be made. After reaching Kalinin, he had been assured that these people were professionals, and above all, could be trusted. They all had the same goal, Chidori must be returned home, and they would do whatever required to see that happen.

Knowing at least a little of the possible capabilities in the mech he had used before at the facility, and having the advantage of knowing that the one he'd been given to use held the same, it was a very real possibility that he might not walk away from this. That was fine with him. If that meant taking Gauron to hell with him, and give Kaname the chance to go home, he was more than ready to die. Anger and pain swept through his heart at the thought of her being used and tortured by the same faceless bastards that had dared to touch her before, people who only cared about the bottom line instead of considering the life they had just ruined beyond repair. Just the mere thought of treating such a beautiful and amazing person like her as if she was a thing, the building fury was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach.

A light beeping from the communication device in his ear brought him back from the dark place he'd been going, and though the anger remained, he knew better than to let it distract him from what he needed to do. Walking back over to the ledge he had stood at before, he pushed the small button on the outside case, allowing the transmission to connect. "Sagara."

"Hey, it's almost time to move."

"I am aware of this Ms. Mao. Are you both in position?"

"Yeah we're all set up. You just worry about that psycho, we'll take care of finding Chidori."

"Affirmative, Gauron will not leave this valley alive." The light static on the line told him that the communication line was still open, confusing him for a moment. He had thought that was the end of the conversation, but apparently she still had something to say. "Something else Ms. Mao?"

"Uh...yeah, hey I know it's none of my business, but-"

"Then why ask? You have your objective, I have mine. Your equipment will be returned to you once I have killed Gauron, and Chidori will be returned to her home."

"Well yeah I know that, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"You just...you sound like to expect to die today or something..." She was good, of that he was now sure, a wry smile coming to his face as he stared down at the glowing city. Ms. Mao didn't look very old, but with how she spoke, she had probably heard others speak this way before. Shoving a hand in his pocket, he found himself missing the small jewel that used to reside there, as well as the touch of the woman he'd given it to. "Hey Sagara, you still there?"

"Affirmative, I am here."

"Look, sorry I butted in like that. I know it wasn't my place or-"

"It's fine Ms. Mao. I don't plan on dying tonight, however if that happens, my final wish is for the two of you to complete the mission. Kaname Chidori must be returned to her home at any cost. I don't care if you have to kill every soldier in this country to make that happen. Besides that, there is only one other thing I would ask of you."

"What's that?"

"...if I do die during this, please, never tell her." The wind picked up again, blowing harshly against him before it calmed once more. Closing his eyes against it, he could still see her clearly, her smile lighting up her face as her eyes sparkled. If that smile could remain on her face forever, he could truly die a happy man. Even knowing that she would one day move on, find happiness with another and build a family and a life with them, as long as that smile never faded, his actions tonight would not be in vain. He had already given her everything else that was his to give, however little it might have been, and to have experienced such amazing things with her just once before he died, giving his life so she could live hers was the last thing he would do for her tonight. "Please, just keep for me this one promise."

The stillness around her felt almost stifling as his words came over the radio, and for a moment Melissa had to remember to breathe. That someone so young could say something like that, she suddenly felt far older than she really was. Looking down at the shotgun she carried, knowing that one so young would go this far for someone they had only met just over a week ago, she didn't think she really had to wonder long on the things that could have happened on their way here. "You love her...don't you?"

Was that what this feeling was, he wondered. The calm warmth that spread through him at the thought of her, the need to feel her, touch her, and taste her, just because she was there. No one else had ever made him act so recklessly or risk everything without giving the order to do so. She had never said a word about it, never asked, and never expected it. Protecting her had been at his insistence, but it had been his choice to allow what had happened between them. And the more it happened, the more he had wanted it, and he only wanted it from her. Was that what normal people considered 'love'? Realistically he wasn't sure, since he really had no basis for any of it, though he couldn't deny that there was no other in this world that could make him smile with only a passing thought.

Everything around him seemed silent during his contemplation. Even the sound of the rushing winds and the hum that still came from the city streets below seemed to hold still as he searched for his answer. Staring down at the buildings below him, a light beeping at his wrist told him they were out of time. He had a job to do, and Chidori was waiting for him. Turning back from the ledge, he walked over to the mech that awaited his arrival, beginning his climb the moment he got there. "It's time. I'll be approaching the stadium in stealth mode, and will come out after the battle has started. Mr. Weber, you are also at the entrance with Mao?"

"Yeah man, I'm here. We'll find her no sweat man."

"Affirmative, thank you. Moving out."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kaname stared with open disdain from her spot in the corner as Gauron as he prepared himself. The gag in her mouth had long since gone from simple annoyance to a dull pain, the ropes at her wrists and ankles rubbing the skin there raw. She was at least grateful that when she had woken up, that she was wearing more than a towel. Still, knowing that he had seen and touched what only belonged to Sousuke made her want to vomit. She had come back to consciousness about two hours ago, and since then he had taken to talking to her, even though he knew better than to expect any answers. Her teeth ground slowly against the fabric in her mouth, and she wished that he would remove the damn thing so she could at least wet her dry lips.

He was wearing some kind of suit, possibly reinforced with some kind of bullet resistance with how it looked. He was ignoring her now, and Kaname wasn't sure if she was thankful for that or not. He looked like he was getting ready to go somewhere, and taking a quick glance around her, Kaname began to itemize just what she might need to get at to try and escape. The hard scuff of his foot on the dry wooden floor caught her attention, realizing that he was watching her again. "Thinking of something Kaname-chan?"

Even through the gag in her mouth, Kaname managed a low growl, fearlessly staring back at him from her corner. She tried to hide the flinch when another smile spread across his face, but held her ground when he strolled over to kneel in front of her. "Hm? What was that? Oh wait, that's right. You'll have to forgive me, I forgot you were gagged for a second there." Kaname hoped he couldn't feel her shaking when he came closer to undo the tie at the back of her head, the fury building inside at her captor showing clearly in her eyes. "There we go, now, what was it you wanted to say?"

"When he kills you, I'll be sure to dance with him on your corpse you asshole!"

"Is that so?" Kaname backed her head up against the wall when he leaned in close. The short distance made it easy for her to smell the stink on his breath, and Kaname struggled to retain the calm she wanted to exude. A chill shot up her spine when the horrid grin fell from his face, replaced with a look that on any other person might seem deadpan, though on him, it only served to make him look more sinister. Simply staring at her, she flinched only slightly when a large hand came up and punched at the wall right next to her head, the wall's materials cracking under the instantaneous pressure. Never breaking eye contact throughout the event, he chuckled as he stood, turning to grab a pair of gloves on the table that seemed to match the rest of the suit.

"What? What's so funny this time?"

"I can see why he likes you so much."

"Huh?"

"It's a rare woman who will do whatever she can to refuse fear in a helpless situation. It's no wonder why he left so many marks on you Kaname-chan." Seeing the fury build in her eyes was amusing. Despite her situation, she continually fought him at every turn, regardless of consequence. Well, that would stop soon enough. He'd been overly courteous so far, a rarity for him, but he had been told she had to be kept alive, and who was he but a simple business man with a package to deliver?

"...y-you..."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot." He came back toward her quickly, grabbing her by her hair and tossing her into the center on the floor before holding her down with his legs. Pressing the rolled fabric back into her mouth, he tied the gag tightly at the back of her head, having to be careful so she didn't bite him in the process. She certainly was a fighter if nothing else. Still pinning her down, he took hold of the gun he'd had at his side, pressing the barrel against her temple. "Now you be a good girl and keep quiet while I'm gone. If I come back and you've moved, well, let's just say the next man who see's you won't think you're all that pretty anymore."

Biting down hard onto the gag in her mouth, Kaname watched as he strolled out the door, catching a glimpse of the hallway beyond before the door was pulled shut and locked behind him. Tears she had been holding back began rolling down her cheeks as her head rang with all the obscenities she wanted to scream at that bastard. Trying to calm down, Kaname started looking carefully at the room around her. There just had to be something in here that she could use somehow, a piece of broken glass, an old utility knife, a shaving razor, anything would do. No matter what happened out there, she would make sure to not be here when he came back. If he came back.

Yes, that was a far better thing to think about right now. Sousuke would come for her, he would eviscerate that bastard and come find her. As long as she held on to that thought, she would find a way out of here. Willing the tears to stop, Kaname twisted herself into more of a sitting position. Taking mental notes in what she had around her, she began to form a plan to get herself out of that damned room.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Perched on the high outer wall, cold grey eyes scanned the field. Gauron was late. It had already been ten minutes past when he was supposed to show up, and though he fought it, he was getting impatient. Impatience wouldn't help him save Kaname, if anything it would only cloud his mind and hasten his demise, then Kaname would have to wait for Mao and her compatriots to find her. Taking a steadying breath, he glanced down at the control panel when a high beep interrupted the silence of the cockpit.

-Enemy detected at five o'clock-

"What the-!" Just barely moving out of the line of fire, Sousuke fell back onto the stands, rolling down toward the field. Finally stopping against the concrete wall that separated the stands from the field, he turned to see Gauron perched on the opposite wall, his mech aiming an A.S.s Gatling cannon at him. Pulling himself up quickly, Sousuke ran along the low wall, firing directly at his target, yet having every shell bouncing off of it. "Damn!"

"That's right Kashim! Remember? I have my fair share of tricks up my sleeve too!" Managing to stay just ahead of the flying bullets, Sousuke had to come to an abrupt stop and leap backward when Gauron brought the range of fire to the front, almost taking out half of his mech's head. "Come on Kashim! Do better! I know you can do much better than this! I'm not settling for any less!"

"Fuck you!" Gauron was doing everything he could to keep him at a distance, knowing that both of their strengths played toward close quarters more than anything. Even with as good of a shot as Sousuke was, real damage to these machines often had to be done face to face. A singular shot to the left leg of Gauron's A.S., frustrated that he still had his shield up, trying to shoot him would be useless. Leaping off the stands, he ran in a short weave pattern as he closed the distance between them, waiting until just in front of him to fire a well placed round into his Gatling cannon, jamming it and stopping the hail of bullets.

His long range defense taken out, Gauron leaped at him, both armslaves crashing into the dirt of the field and kicking up large dust clouds. Using the last of their momentum, Sousuke did what he could to kick Gauron off of him, the body of his mech twisting quickly and crashing hard into the stands. Rolling so his machine could kneel, Sousuke heard Gauron's insane laughter from across the field, his teeth grinding together as his anger grew. "Very good Kashim! You're catching on fast!"

"How many times do I have to tell you to fucking die before you do it!"

"I don't know Kashim, you may have to remind me. Oh and by the way..."

"What?"

"Kaname-chan was absolutely delicious." His blood ran cold, his jaw going slack as his mind went into overdrive at the horrible things he could have done to her while she had been his prisoner. To have been able to take her from the inn they had been staying at with no one rousing suspicion, he must have drugged her. Horrible images of things he could have done to her, being raped, cut up, tearing her to literal shreds but still making sure she would be able to live, and whole myriads of terrible and frightening things. He had no voice. So much rage began to build inside him that he felt his every muscle tighten, his mind almost going blank from the images Gauron's words had caused. "Although, I will say this much. I've had better." He felt the feral growl grow within his dry throat, reverberating up and finally exiting his mouth in a roar of fury and pain. This man, no, this thing that had crawled its way from the depths of hell, the taste of his death would be sweet indeed, and he would be sure to savor every drop.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kaname twisted on the floor a few more times, rolling her ever closer over to the table Gauron had used before leaving her by herself. Gauron may be clever, but Kaname was resourceful, and she was going to do everything she could to get free before that asshole made it back to her. Finally feeling the table leg rub against her shoulder, she sat up, her muscles still stiff from being bound at her wrists and ankles, yet forcing herself to move despite the discomfort. The gag in her mouth was making it difficult to breathe as she did what she could, and the rope binding her continued rubbing her skin raw with irritation. She would have to make a personal note to treat the skin there especially well for a while after this.

Cursing to herself when she realized that she was still two or three inches lower than the tabletop, she stared down at her legs, wondering if she perhaps had enough balance to wiggle them under her and let her kneel by the table. Still thinking about it, her thoughts stopped when loud bangs and tremors began shaking the building. Kaname waited, trying to figure out what they might have been. They weren't earthquakes, earthquakes never had sounds of...what would she call them...not explosions but, bangs? Wherever she was, those sounds were somehow Sousuke. They had to be. Deciding to just go for it and deal with the possible scrapes and splinters later, Kaname brought in her legs, tilting and twisting until she sat on top of them.

Now able to see the tabletop, she wished she could smile as her eyes locked onto a single glass of water. Another tremor and loud bangs seemed to make the table vibrate for a minute, though the glass miraculously stayed put. Leaning back, she placed her forehead on the edge of the table, mentally preparing herself for the pain. Silently counting to three, she pushed as hard as she could against the wood's edge, trying to tip the table enough so that the vibrations from the battle around her might tip the glass over. The edge seemed to cut into her forehead with how painful it was to try tipping the heavy table, but with every tremor and vibration that came from outside, she forced herself to keep going.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, another tremor shook the room, and the glass on the table tipped over the edge and came crashing onto the floor across from her. All but falling back with relief, Kaname took a moment to allow the pain in her head to begin dissipating before she made any other movements. Step one: Accomplished; Step two: Get those damn ropes off!  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as the sounds of battle had begun, Melissa pushed the activation button for the controlled explosives they had rigged to the front gate, the glass doors behind them shattering under the instantaneous pressure and falling to the ground in large shards. With Kurz trailing behind her to watch her back, both moved through the building carefully, beginning by scoping out what kind of security was set up for the stadium before making any other harsh movements. Neither spoke a word until they were sure that they were still alone. The last thing they needed was for any hidden enemies to know there was only two of them and give them time to prepare. Once it was made certain that no one was going to come rushing to check the front gate, the two carefully made their way farther inside the darkness.

"Man, this sucks. Just the two of us to search this whole stadium. I mean, this place is freaking huge..." Trying to hold back her sigh, Melissa re-adjusted the shotgun at her shoulder and began moving down the left corridor.

"Quit your bitching Kurz; you know why we have to do it this way, so just shut up and keep close."

"Yeah I know. If we get caught it'll look like we're independents who picked an A.S. fight instead of some big military operation." Flipping down the night vision goggles they'd been given, the two slowly made their way down the long corridor. Finally coming to the first of a long series of doors, Melissa was stopped when Kurz put his hand out, catching her momentarily off guard in the dark.

"What're you doing?"

"Hang on." Glancing down to the floor, Melissa then saw what he had been warning her about. The small weight that had been tied onto the end of Kurz's rifle had given away a very thin wire that was coming from the side of the wall about a foot before the first door, and was carefully anchored to the other side before being lead under it and into the first room. Gauron had come more prepared than they had thought he would.

"Damn. It's booby trapped. That wire is probably rigged to some kind of explosive or firearm from behind the wall."

"Shit. So this whole place could be rigged with fucked up traps like that then."

"Yeah, there's a good chance that that asshole set up traps all over this place, and not all of them are likely to be as noticeable as this one." Putting her hand to her ear, Melissa clicked the activation for the radio. Waiting for the receivers to connect, she could only cross her fingers that Sagara wasn't too hot under the collar to listen to their warning.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sparks flew through the air as once again his monomolecular cutter connected with the surface of Gauron's A.S. Fury hummed through his veins, his vision long since burning crimson at the implications of what Gauron had said. The very idea that Kaname could have been violated in such ways while being held against her will made him want to vomit. Images of her terrified and bound, tears streaking down her face, the occasional hit or punch to keep her from fighting back, the harsh material of the ropes used to bind her and hold her in place cutting into her soft skin as she was violated repeatedly by the same monster that now stood before him. Gauron would burn in hell before the first light of day. For all that he had done and could have, there would be no redemption for this thing that called himself a man.

Another charge brought both of their LD shields crashing together, the reactions lighting up the area in brilliant colors as more force was put behind them. Small shockwaves rolled over the stands, and as numerous seats were forced from their anchors on the concrete, Sousuke smirked when he felt Gauron being pushed back. Concentrating as hard as he could to try and push back Gauron's opposing field, he was distracted by a loud beeping from the console. -Incoming transmission from Sergeant Major Mao-

"Connect it! I'm busy!"

-Roger-

"Sagara, - copy?"

"What! I can't hear you! Say again!"

"We're trying -, but -ha- over the-. We can har-ove without so- off." Growling at the display screen, Sousuke brought up the monomolecular cutter to try adding to the damage being done by the opposing shields. The information he had received only served to make him more angry and frustrated than he had been minutes before. "Hey Sa-, -tening?"

-Transmission Failure due to excessive interference-

"Damn!"

"You're doing very well Kashim! This is so exciting!"

"Shut up and die!" Redirecting his focus to the cutter, Sousuke brought it down hard, slicing through Gauron's shield and almost severing his left arm. The machinery held on by only the barest screws and wires, but it had been successfully rendered useless. Gauron brought his own knife up, damaging the armor on the Sousuke's right side and part of the head.

"Don't worry Kashim, this will be over soon."

"I said to shut the hell up!"  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Holding the piece of glass from behind her back was hard enough, but trying to cut the rope without cutting herself was a freaking miracle at this point. It had taken a few minutes to roll over to the other side of the table, but once a sufficient piece of glass had been found, Kaname knew it was all downhill from there. Trying to keep her breathing calm, Kaname twitched at an explosion that seemed close by, steeling herself as she got back to work on cutting the rope. Finally, she felt the rope slack. Twisting her arms about to tear the last of the fibers, Kaname brought her arms forward for the first time in hours.

Taking a moment to allow the muscles to regain their feeling, she reached up and untied her gag, throwing the piece of cloth across the room once free. Even though she had yet to untie her ankles, just having those two parts done felt so good. Feeling another tremor, Kaname came back to herself and began untying the last of the rope. She faltered when she first stood, her legs feeling like jelly from being bound for so long. Deciding to make sure she would be up to escaping, she paced the room as she worked the feeling back into her limbs, increasing her speed slightly every few steps. Once satisfied, Kaname carefully exited, checking the hallway for any guards that might be with Gauron.

Making her way down the hallway, Kaname was thrown off her balance by what she could only guess were shock waves. The following tremor had her grasping the railing on the wall until its passing, picking up her pace once the shaking had receded. Finding an unlocked door, Kaname opened it quickly, only to shield her eyes from the blinding lights coming in through the windows. Becoming accustomed to the bright light, she walked inside, finding that she had entered the announcers box, and catching a glimpse of the battle taking place in the field.

The one she recognized, that one had to be Gauron. Watching the other carefully, its movements becoming more familiar to her the longer she watched, she realized that the white one was Sousuke. Her breathe quickening, Kaname realized that she had something buzzing in her head. It started out low, like the ringing in one's ear after a loud concert, but as it grew in volume, the buzzing became words. Kaname grabbed her head, holding her hands over her ears as the words tried to force their way to the forefront of her mind. "No...stop it..."

Sliding down to the floor, the words continued their onslaught in her mind, numbers and symbols mixing with them to form what looked like endless equations in her head. The voice got louder, so much so that Kaname didn't even register the tremors from the building anymore. Shaking her head violently, she stood and tried to focus on the closest thing that might help. The next thing she knew, her forehead had left a small blood patch on the wall, but the voice had softened to a whispers now, and that was the good thing. "Why...how and why does this happen to me...?" Picking herself back up to lean on the announcer's counter, Kaname looked back out onto the battle ridden field. She could see them again, the locations of weak points, the exterior functions and where their internal power sources would be. It was like looking at a moving textbook.

Focusing on Gauron's mech, she noticed that when Sousuke attacked, the rest of Gauron's mech was left completely open. Quickly looking around, she found the activation button for the speaker system, flipping it on and holding the microphone to her mouth. "Sousuke!"  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as they heard the voice over the speakers, everything seemed to freeze in time. Both of them looked over to the announcers box in shock, never having expected something of the sort to happen. "Well, well, well...such a bad girl you've been Kaname chan..."

"Kaname! Get away from there now!" Sousuke panicked when Gauron aimed his arm over to the announcer's box, moving to grab hold of it and throw it off course. Just like back at the facility, he pointed his finger like a gun, watching as the force from his Lambda driver built near the tip. Just before the energy was released, Sousuke was able to jar the mechs arm slightly, the resulting explosion decimating only part of the announcer's box and a good portion of the stands nearby. "Kaname!"

"Did she make it? Looks pretty bad doesn't it Kashim?"

"Damn you!" The grip in his mechs hand increasing, Sousuke twisted sharply, breaking the other arm of Gauron's mech and flinging him across the field. Running over to where it landed, both shields clashed in brilliant prismatic colors, though it was easy to tell who had the most power now. The force of Sousuke's LD field was beginning to wear away Gauron's armor, pieces of metal were being forced off their surfaces and thrown back to impale themselves in the stands behind them. When the power shield reached the sensitive electronics inside, the internal reactor was unable to regulate the safety functions, bathing the cockpit in crimson light.

-Inner mechanisms have been breached. Suggest pilot evacuation immediately-

"Sounds like a good idea. Open the emergency hatch now."

-Roger-

As the secret hatch below the cockpit opened up, Gauron heard the small room beginning to buckle under the pressure from Sousuke's shield. It was a good thing he had had the foresight to have the hatch installed, though he really could have done without all of his employer's bitching about the demand, but at least its effectiveness couldn't be argued against. Opening the small hatch under the back of the armor, Gauron smirked as he realized he had landed right next to one of the player entrances to the field. "Come get me Kashim...Kaname chan and I will be waiting."

Finally, the mech gave way, blowing back Sousuke with the explosions shock waves. The field still heavily concealed by the large dust clouds, Sousuke rubbed the back of his head as he sat up. Checking the monitors, Sousuke looked across the field, remnants of the mechs rubble were scattered everywhere, but there was no sign of Gauron's body. Not willing to make the same mistake he had made once before, Sousuke spoke up. "A.I., perform bio-scan and find his body."

-Roger. Performing bio-scan...bio-scan complete, there are no traces of a corpse Mr. Sagara-

"Dammit! Open the hatch, I'll find him on my own!"

-I must advise against this brash action Mr. Sagara-

"Shut up and let me out of this thing now AL!"

-...-

"What?"

-That was the first time you used my name when speaking to me-

"Whatever, now just let me out of here! That's an order!" The cockpit hissed as the hatch opened, the atmosphere inside instantly equalizing and giving the slightest puff of cool air before dissipating. Jumping down from the shoulder, Sousuke landed hard on the dirt ground, scanning the area for any sign of which way Gauron might have gone. Finally spotting the dark hallway just behind his abandoned A.S. carcass, he reached to his back for the Glock that Mao had provided him. Darting down the hallway, he found it rather odd that they would seemingly trust a stranger with so much back-up and weaponry. Though considering the circumstances, they were probably gambling on the old saying, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. In most cases he would have openly scoffed at such a brazen act of blind trust, but Gauron had to be dealt with, and who better than one of the few who had survived fighting him before?

Coming to a crossway, Sousuke looked carefully down all four directions, being careful to stay out of the center, and thus, out of direct fire for at least two of the seemingly empty hallways. The only lights were from the emergency lighting, splashing fluorescent light just over the parts of the halls that had entrances. His ears catching just the faintest of scratches to his right, he bolted down the hall, grabbing for the first door he thought it had come from. Within the few seconds he realized the door was rigged, he tried turning, the shockwave from the resulting explosion forcing the door off its hinges and hitting his side at full force, knocking him against the opposite wall.

His head knocking hard against the concrete, he had to stop and wait until the room stopped spinning before trying to move the door off of him. The door itself had done well to absorb the brunt of the initial shockwave, but had splintered and broken as it hit both him and then the wall. Rolling the largest piece of the door off of him, Sousuke felt immense pain shoot up his left arm. The largest piece now off of him, Sousuke was able to notice the large shards of wood protruding from his arm, the blood already staining his shirt sleeves. "Shit..."

From an immediate assessment, he guessed it was probably broken, but in how many ways he wasn't sure. Proper treatment would have to wait until after he was sure Gauron was dead and Chidori was safe, so with a steeling breath, he gritted his teeth and began pulling them out, one by one.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Sagara!...Sagara!...Dammit! There's too much interference! I can't get through."

"Well shit, how the hell are we supposed to contact him then?"

"I don't know, but we can worry about that later, we have to keep moving and find Chidori before we draw any more attention to this place. With how much of a ruckus they're making out there, it's only a matter of time before the local government sends in the troops to break things up." Picking up their gear, Melissa followed Kurz closely as they continued making their way down the hall, being careful to check every nook and cranny for traps as they went.

"Too bad, I kind of liked that Sagara guy you know?"

"I know, with how good Kalinin was speaking of him, it'll be a shame if he just dies here. Could have made a nice addition huh?"

"Aww, you lookin' to replace me sis?"

"You really want me to give you a new asshole don't you?"

"Love you too Mel." Reaching a split in the hallway, they were about to strategize how to continue when a fierce tremor shook the building, followed by another one that felt slightly farther away. "What the hell...?"

"That first one felt close, possibly upstairs about two floors."

"Looks like we better hurry it up then huh?"

"You got that right, let's move."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kaname carefully rose up from the ground, pieces of debris falling off of her back, while others stuck in her hair. She must have been knocked out for a short while, it was quiet outside. Once on her hands and knees and the ringing in her ears stopped, she tried to focus and see if she was injured. She was lucky, with the exception of a few deep scrapes, she was good to go. Thankful that she had survived, as well as the fact that those odd voices in her head had silenced again, she stood and took a look around, searching for a way she could go and hide until Sousuke could find her. Since she was unsure of just how long she had been out, she couldn't be sure that Gauron was dead.

Making her way through the scattered debris in the hall, Kaname felt herself get dizzy from being so roughly knocked around. Leaning up against the wall for a moment, she tried to concentrate and gather her thoughts. Once feeling a little more centered, she slowly pushed off the wall and continued onward. Almost to what she would guess was utility closet, she felt a shift in the air around her. A chill shot up her spine, and if it wasn't so long, she could have sworn the hair on the back of her neck was standing straight up. She was being watched. Looking all around her, all she could see was darkness down both ends of the hall. Still, the feeling of someone watching her burned into her back, and turning back with the idea of simply bolting down the halls, she was halted by the very last person she wanted to see right then.

Where he had come from she had no idea, but there he stood, not ten feet in front of her, and only half of him visible from the emergency light in front of the utility door, the look of a satisfied predator on his face as he stared at her. "Kaname chan...you've been a very bad girl..."

Turning the other way to try and escape, Kaname yelped when she felt him grab hold of her hair, yanking hard to throw her off balance and fling her back on her heels. Already feeling as if she was trapped, the feeling only increased when he wrapped his arm around her and put his gun up against her cheek, his breath hot and rancid as he spoke in her ear. "Didn't I tell you what would happen if you were a bad girl Kaname chan? You don't have to be pretty to be useful you know..."

"Let her go now Gauron!"

"Hm? Ah, Kashim how good of you to come. You're just in time. I was just about to teach Kaname chan what happens to hostages who don't do as they're told."

"I said to let her fucking go NOW!" Finally coming out from the shadows at the other end of the hallway, Kaname's hopes fell slightly when she saw how much blood was all over his sleeve. The fabric was covered with it, and by the constant dripping from his fingers, it hadn't been properly stopped. His long hair fell in tangles across his back and shoulders, a small trail of blood ran down the side of his head from under his headband, and then she noticed that he was only using his right arm. The other one must have been broken somehow, and with how he looked, Kaname couldn't stop the whine that slipped out.

"...Sousuke..."

"Ah-ah-ah, didn't anyone ever tell you that women are to be seen and not heard Kaname chan?" Gauron lifted his arm and tightened it around her neck, watching her begin to fight for breath. Grabbing weakly at his arm, Kaname kept her eyes trained on Sousuke, wondering just how much longer he could go before losing too much blood.

With no other options, Sousuke raised his gun, a pained yet determined look on his face as he took aim. Kaname looked as though she would pass out soon, and with a grin smeared with confidence, Gauron move his gun to aim back at Sousuke. Making a last ditch decision, he repositioned his aim and fired, sending the bullet through Kaname's right shoulder and burying itself in Gauron's heart. Just as Kaname had been released, Gauron's finger pulled the trigger, its original target removed in favor of Sousuke's lower abdomen. All three fell to the ground.

Kaname had fallen to her knees, gripping her shoulder as the blood seeped through her fingers. Her shoulder burned like fire, but she did her best to ignore it, pushing herself up and slowly making her way back over to the young man who had given so much for her. "S...Sousuke..."

Finally reaching him, she knelt back down, not caring for the blood on her knees. Still holding onto her shoulder, she reached out to take his hand, her vision beginning to swim as the blood continued to flow out of her. Sitting up became too difficult, and she slouched to the floor as soon as she found his hand, wrapping her fingers around his as tightly as she could. Tears peeked through her long lashes, as she felt him weakly squeeze back, her voice faintly echoing in the darkened hallways as everything around them faded to black.

"I...love...you..."


	14. Epilogue - Out of the Blue

An annoyed grunt sounded at the news his subordinate had given him. With the flick of his wrist, the flip phone was closed, the only lights remaining being the ambient of the city lights beyond the low balcony wall. Sighing at the lack of adequate subordinates as of late, he took another sip of his fine white zinfandel, the city lights shining off long silvery tresses. "Looks as though I will need to take matters into my own hands. Sabine?"

"Yes sir?"

"Get in touch with Kalium and the twins. Kaname Chidori will not be gone from us for long."

"Understood sir."  
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Low beeping filled the quiet room as Kaname began to slowly come awake. Trying to turn on her side to keep sleeping for a while longer, pain shot through her shoulder as soon as she had put her weight on it, both annoying her, as well as making sure she was indeed awake. Blinking slowly against the slight glare from the morning sun, she sat up slowly, gripping her shoulder as her gaze settled on the person sitting in a chair across the room from her. Trying to sit up, Kaname whimpered when the pain shot through her again, giving away to the other occupant that she was up. "So, have you woken up?"

"Ugh,...I-I guess so. What happened?" The other woman came over and helped her to sit up, offering Kaname a glass of water when she had finally made it. Glancing down at her bandaged shoulder, Kaname looked at it in confusion, until the last of the sleep wore off, her memories coming back to her. Sousuke had shot her there. He had done it so that the bullet would go through her and kill Gauron. Another aching wave hit her when her shoulders began shaking, unable to hold back the tears from the memory of what he had looked like the last time she saw him.

"Ms. Chidori? Do you remember everything now?" Oh how she wished she didn't. He had looked tired and desperate, his hair falling wildly about his shoulders and his clothes ripped and torn. And the blood. There was so much blood, it was everywhere. His arm had been covered in it, and she was almost certain it was broken in a few places. A crimson black patch had begun spreading on his abdomen, seeping through his clothes as he fell to the floor. It had flowed through her fingers, and from her shoulder as it dripped down her arm, gathering in a sick puddle on the floor and smearing on her knees. And it had covered his hand as she held onto it with the last of her strength, before everything had gone black.

Her eyes stung with tears, just as they had then. Kaname felt her head lower as the tears spilled from her eyes. Raising a careful hand, she placed it lightly over her bandaged shoulder, squeezing it despite the emanating pain. "Why? Why did I have to wake up? I don't want to."

"I know it's hard, but-"

"What the hell would you know about what I just went through!" Kaname wanted to go on, but her throat clenched, visions passing by her mind's eye and reminding her of just how much she had lost. Rationally Kaname knew she had no right to yell at this woman, but her heart wouldn't listen to her head just then. He had given his life for her, and she was never going to see him ever again. Who wouldn't be devastated by something like that?

"Chidori, I need you to listen to me a minute alright? I don't have much time." Glancing over at the woman, a sarcastic snort came out as she cleared her throat enough to speak.

"No offense, but you're a nurse. You don't have to go far for anything here."

"Normally you'd be right. Except, I'm not a nurse." Kaname stopped at that, turning to look at her fully. She wore the uniform, but when she really looked at her, she could tell the woman was not lying. The calluses on her hands were not of someone who was normally found in a medical profession, and something in those violet eyes told her that she had seen far more than other women her age.

"Who...who are you?"

"I'm one of the soldiers who helped Sousuke Sagara to rescue you that night. Both myself and my subordinate were searching the stadium while he fought, and we called for help the moment we found you both in the hallway."

"So...then, where am I?"

" You've been in the Sengawa General Hospital for the last seven days. Welcome home." The woman stood and pulled back the semi-transparent curtains, the view of the Tokyo skyline greeting her. Looking between the woman and the window, Kaname had so many questions, but she wasn't sure if she would get any answers, so she settled for the easiest and most obvious.

"...How? How did any of this...?"

"As I told you, I was one of the soldiers looking for you Ms. Chidori. We were contacted first by Mr. Kalinin, then later by Sagara, who asked us for help in getting you home safe. Now, I can't say too much, but I have been given clearance to tell you at least a little more." Kaname sat and listened as Melissa explained everything. How they were supposed to have been there to prevent her from being abducted that day, and that they felt that they should have found her sooner. As Melissa went on, Kaname began to feel frustrated again. She couldn't change the past, but there were pieces of it that she wouldn't have traded for the world, and now, a good portion of those had only been able to happen because she had been taken. Another flash of his face went by her mind, and Kaname had to force the tears back at the memory.

A short time later, Melissa announced that it was time for her to leave. Melissa had moved across the room as she spoke, relaying that if Kaname found herself in danger again, that she would be back to help. Barely taking hold of the doorknob, Melissa halted when Kaname called out to her. "Wait!"

"Hm, yes?"

"Uh...um, I...is he...do you know if...?"

"I'm really not sure. When help came, it seemed that Mr. Kalinin had brought Mr. Majid with him. I really couldn't say if he is alive or not." Melissa had to resist the urge to hug the girl, her face looking more depressed and dejected at the prospect of not having any sort of closure about the young man she had loved for a short time. Regretfully, Melissa couldn't stay longer to help the girl, and left after quietly telling her goodbye.

Alone again, Kaname reached over to take her glass of water when she noticed the small table next to her bed. Laying in the very center of the small table was the piece of lapis he had given her, still shining brightly as it had the first time he had set the small stone in her hand. Holding onto it tightly, Kaname felt the tears returning, and though it still hurt, she vowed she would force herself to press on. The woman he had met was too strong to be broken by the heartless scientists that had taken her, the least she could do was push forward, and live the life he'd given everything to give back to her.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three months later...

The moment Majid had opened the door to the small hospital room, he had felt great need to roll his eyes. The young man he'd taken in, taught everything he knew, and who had almost died twice on the medic's table three months earlier, was trying to do pull-ups using the ceiling mounted privacy curtain. Withholding his urge to toss the boy out the window, since he obviously wanted to kill himself, Majid sighed and crossed the room, taking a seat in the metal chair in the corner. "Kashim, you woke up only three days ago. The doctor said you needed rest."

"The doctor *grunt* doesn't know *grunt* my body like I do. I can *grunt* feel myself getting weaker. That, *grunt* is unacceptable." As if on cue, Majid's point was driven home when he twisted too sharply, and caused a sharp pain to shoot through his abdomen. The pain caused him to temporarily lose his grip, harshly reuniting him with the cold tile floor and knocking the air out of him and landing on his left arm, the muscles still badly bruised, even though the bone had healed while he had been asleep . "GYAH! Shit..."

"Will you listen to the doctor's orders now Kashim? Or would you prefer to continue in your attempts to kill yourself?" Managing to hold back only half of the smirk he was entitled to, Majid sat quietly while Kashim carefully picked himself back up and sat back onto the bed. Still looking annoyed, Majid waited patiently for the young man to quit his brooding.

"I'm not trying to kill myself."

"Then what would you call it?"

"I was unconscious for three months, I need to get my body back into the shape it once was if I am to be useful."

"Useful to whom, exactly?"

" A soldier who cannot fight is just another body waiting to die."

"Do you honestly still believe that?" The silence that filled the room at that was almost a tangible thing between them, and though it wasn't uncomfortable, it was certain that the air around him wasn't as it used to be. Resettling in his chair, Majid coughed to get the young man's attention. "Kashim, I must admit, I did not come here just to see how you were feeling."

"Am I needed sir?"

"Possibly." It was then that a knock came to his door frame, and he felt his eyes widen at the next person to visit him.

" It's nice to see you again, Kashim. Or, should I be calling you something else these days?" Still a bit surprised that he had come back, he accidentally moved his bad arm to salute him too quickly, the muscles reacting painfully with the sudden movement. He'd obviously been pushing himself too hard again, and refused the fact that he needed rest to recover instead of training. Chuckling at the young man's expression, Andre stood quietly and waited for him to recover. "I take it your arm is still in quite a bit of pain from the incident?"

"Now what would give you such an absurd idea, sir?"

"Seems you've developed a bit of an attitude since last I saw you as well."

"Is that a problem?"

"I never said it was." Simply sitting within each other's company for a moment, Andre waited patiently for him to notice the manila folder he had brought with him. When finally he saw his eyes drop down to it, Andre brought it up to offer it to Kashim. "This is all the paperwork necessary to come with me, if you wish of course. All you have to do is sign them, I should be able to take care of the rest."

He stared at the folder, not really sure what he should be thinking about at a time like this. Leaving had never been something he had ever considered, and yet, all he had to do was sign a few papers, and then he would disappear. It wasn't as if he would especially miss this place, being a nomad for so long had given him no real grasp of the idea of a permanent dwelling anyway, but still, recent times and events had given him a new perspective on a few things he had never bothered to think on before. "I...I-I don't know..."

"If this is what you want, the offer will not expire. I now know for a fact that the machine you used is picky at the best of times, and the A.I. seemed to have taken a shine to you. The damned thing refuses to work for anyone else after you. Either way, you are welcome, if this is something you truly wish for." Kashim watched as Andre retreated out of his room, glancing back down at the folder that now lay across his leg. So many things were passing through his mind, it was difficult to make sense of any of it. Catching the action when Majid stood and went toward his door, Kashim watched as he stopped a moment, curious about what he would say.

"Sir?"

"Do not play me a fool Kashim. I may be old, but I don't need eyes to see that your heart has not been your own for a long time now. You mind can tell you every reason why you should stay, but only your heart knows the truth."

Now alone with his thoughts, he stared down at the papers in his lap. These papers meant an entirely new life, and steady pay for what he had been doing for years now. It was strange though, how for the last nine years he had never even considered a different way of life, and now, so many options seemed to come out of literally nowhere. Turning to look out the window, the brilliance of the sky had his heart clenching, the memory of sitting on the top of a cold snowy mountain with a beautiful young woman settling in the forefront of his thoughts.

Majid was right. Even though he could stay, he just didn't want to. After so many years, Sousuke wanted something different than wandering the vast terrains. He wanted something new, different challenges with a different place, and as much as a part of him argued, he wasn't going to find that staying in this country. His mind made up, Sousuke threw off the sheets and grabbed his shirts and boots, making sure to remember the folder he had been given before running out the door.

Andre had just set foot on the chopper when he heard the roof access door slam open, the metal door creating a loud commotion that not even the motor of the aircraft could drown out. As soon as his mind registered what it was he was looking at, a grin spread on his face. Catching his breath from sprinting up the stairwell, Sousuke leaned on the doorframe a moment, the papers he had been given grasped tightly in his hand and a lopsided yet determined smile on his face. "And here I thought you might need more time to decide."

"No decision was needed, I don't belong here anymore. And besides, I've got someone waiting for me out there."  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Late one October evening...

The small room was quiet beneath the slight hum of the fluorescent lights. Still staring at the reflection in the mirror, a quick gesture brought the knife in his hand to stand on the sink's edge, his other hand undoing the tie that held back the long hair that fell down his back. Finally making a decision, he carefully took a chunk of the long, unruly locks and brought the knife up, slicing through it easily. The strands falling helplessly to the floor, he took another chunk of hair and repeated the process. For almost ten minutes this action repeated itself, the chosen strands becoming shorter as he went, until it was finally a length he was satisfied with.

Turning his head this way and that to see it at different angles, he had to admit he had done fairly well. It was far shorter than it had been in a long time, but it felt good to be able to feel the air on the back of his neck again. Heavy strands still fell haphazardly over his eyes, but he could still see, and with his current line of work, that was all that really mattered. Hearing a knock at his door, he called for whoever it was to enter, leaning over his sink and running water through his now shortened locks and taking out the shavings that still clung to the rest. "Have I caught you at a bad time? You look busy."

Recognizing the voice, he continued rinsing his hair until he felt he had it good enough. Taking up the towel he'd hung next to the mirror on his wall, he placed it over his head and began rubbing out the water. "No sir. Just...making a change."

Andre's eyes widened when the young man took the towel off of his head, surprised at the drastic change to the appearance he'd had for almost ten years. Glancing behind him to see a few of the long strands still on the floor, he smiled, folding his arms and leaning up against the door frame. "You'll remember to clean those up?"

"Affirmative. I was going to take care of it before retiring for the night."

"Good to hear. It looks good by the way. You did well." Watching as he took a small section win his fingertips, Andre chuckled as he just let it go and shrugged, blowing at it before allowing it to fall back into his face.

"Was there something you needed sir?"

"Actually there is. I just received these orders from the Captain, and she asked me to find someone suitable for a new job. Think you're up to it?"

Brushing off the towel and putting it back up on the small wrack, he shrugged again before reaching for the small broom and dustpan he had stored in the corner, sweeping up the long discarded tresses. "If that is what's required of me, then I'll do it. I don't see why you would feel the need to ask when all you would have to do is give me the order."

"Well, I just wanted to give you the option of turning it down if you wished. There are a few others I could offer this to, but I came to you first."

"What is it?"

"Undercover bodyguard, for a very important person." A frown coming to his face, memories of the last time he had guarded anyone played in front of him. Finding her in that darkened electronic prison, learning about her, falling for her...he'd missed her so much over the past months. No, he still wasn't ready for a personal guard mission. It was strange to think, but it almost felt that by taking such missions, that he would be betraying her somehow. She may even be happy with someone else now, but there would be no one else for him. No one could ever be her.

"My apologies sir, but you should probably ask someone else."

"Is that so? Even if I told you that you would be guarding her?" The inflection in his voice had him stop mid-sweep. Turning slowly, he met the older man's face, searching for any sign that he was possibly playing a cruel joke. It wasn't in his nature to do something quite that cruel to a comrade, but people were never creatures set in stone. He waited a full minute for any sign that he wasn't telling him what he thought he might be telling him. When no chuckle or any other indication came, he felt his heart jump into his throat.

"Y-You mean...?"

"Yes, I do." Handing over the clipboard, he was shown a small picture of a girl in her school uniform, and printed pages of her recorded information. His eyes went wide at the small photo, not daring to touch it for fear that it might be a hallucination. Her hair was still endless, just as he remembered it, and though she had a smile on her face, it didn't quite reach her eyes. Still, there was no doubt that it was her, and he let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. "So? Do you accept or should I find someone else?"  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kaname walked slowly down the street, the light rain coming down on her umbrella helping to keep people from noticing the melancholy air around her. Her school bag hanging from her hand, her thoughts wandered as she continued moving forward down the street. Finally turning down her street, she briefly looked down to her shoulder, the scar beneath her clothing being only one of a few things she had to remember him by. Already it had been almost seven months from when she had made it back to her home, but the lingering pain of loss had yet to dissipate, and Kaname now had her doubts that it ever would. True, in the grand scheme of things they had only known each other for a short time, but even still, the time she had spent with him had been special.

Since returning home and school, a few boys had tried asking her out, but she really hadn't been very interested in any of them. They were just boys, and though they were all nice enough, she couldn't find it in herself to go back to that. Somehow now, every other boy just fell short now. It was her own fault for comparing them all to him, but she couldn't help it. None of them could come close to what he had been.

Letting her hand fall back down to her side, Kaname picked up her pace, wanting to get home before the sun dipped any lower. She would carry on, just like she had promised herself she would. It wasn't her way to simply give up whenever loss decided to barge its way back into her life, and she wasn't about to start now. She'd survived her mother's passing, and her father and sister leaving her, so she could get through this too. Like the others, she wasn't expecting it to ever stop hurting, but the pain would dull enough in time. Resolving herself to fight the pain of being alone again, Kaname turned into her complex and decided to take the stairs. Proud of herself for not bending to the will of the Fates once again, she took the stairs two at a time, only slowing once she reached the last few steps to her floor.

Taking the last few steps slowly, she caught her breathe as she dug through her bag for her keys, her folded umbrella dampening the side of her uniform as she held it close to her. Halfway to her door, Kaname lifted her head a moment, catching sight of a figure near where her front door would be. From a distance, she couldn't make out a face, but it looked to be a boy in her school's uniform. 'Probably another guy trying to ask me out,' sighing as soon as the dreaded thought occurred to her, Kaname would just ignore him and make sure the door was locked behind her. "Excuse me, you're blocking my door."

"I am aware of this."

"Look, I'm sorry but I'm not interested, so just get lost or I'll call the building manager."

"I understand."

"Then just freaking move! I'm tired and I'm trying to go home you jerk! What class are you in anyway? I've never even seen you before!" Her anger was only fuelled when she heard him chuckle at her frustration, the hand holding her bag squeezing the handle so tightly that it was shaking. "You...you...freaking asshole! Just get the hell out of my way!"

The darker shadows that had concealed the boy from the shoulders up were drawn back as he leaned in toward her face, her own eyes going wide as steel grey stared down at her with a cocky grin, his words coming out slowly as shivers ran up her spine. "Make me."

Her things fell from her hands as the limbs went limp, hardly able to believe the sight that was in front of her. How it was possible she couldn't say, but the moment her gaze fell on the scar on the left side of his jaw, there was no mistake. Though the wild strands had been cut far shorter, they still shadowed over his eyes and fell into his face. There were no words, all she could do was stare back and pray that this was not just another dream. Still a bit unsure, she surprised him when she reached out and pinched hard at his arm. "Ah! Kaname that hurt."

"So...it's...you're really here? I-I'm not dreaming again?" Realization for why she had pinched him came through, and he smiled down at her, her expression still hoping it was real but holding herself back in case it truly was just another dream. Closing the distance between them, he quickly moved to take hold of her shoulders, holding her in place as he pressed a firm kiss to her lips. In the moment that she felt his lips on hers, she knew it was real. The warmth of his hands on her shoulders, and the feeling of pure confidence as he kissed her, Kaname felt her knees weaken.

Quickly wrapping her arms around his neck, he moved his own from her shoulders to wrap tightly around her waist. Finally, after waiting so long for an answer, Kaname felt overwhelming relief flow through her in the knowledge that he was alive. Living for so long, not knowing one way or the other, each day had been torture. But now, she could see him, feel him against her, kiss him...

Breaking the kiss just far enough to still feel his lips against her own, she opened her eyes just enough to stare back in his, the same burning need reflected in darkened silver. The rain still coming down, she spoke just loud enough for him to hear her, hopeful but still afraid of what his answer might be. "How long are you here?"

"My base of operations is in the building across from yours; as of today I am to be your immediate protection from anyone who tries to take you as they did before. And as of tomorrow, I am the newest transfer student for your-" He was halted immediately when Kaname lifted herself to kiss him again, already receiving more than enough information to make her happy for the moment.

"You talk too much."

"You may be the first to ever think that." A small grin came to his face as his back softly hit the wall next to her door, his head dipping down to capture her lips once more. "You know, I never answered you before."

"Answered me?" Confused at his words, Kaname backed up slightly, only to meet smoldering grey eyes that bore into her own. Shifting so that he gently held her face in his hands, he made sure she was able to continue looking directly into his eyes. Waiting a moment for the pounding in their blood to calm, he rested his forehead against hers, finally allowing himself to truly feel what she had stirred within his heart so many months ago. "Sousuke?"

"I love you too..."

~The End~


End file.
